I'll Cover You
by The 1000th Kiss
Summary: Basically the story of how Angel & Collins met and how their relationship grew. Collins' POV. Mostly Angel & Collins, other characters mentioned as well. My first fic.
1. Welcome Back to Town

**Hi! I'm new at this so I don't know if it's any good or not. Um . . . I've been reading a lot of stories about how Angel & Collins met and ****Today 4 U**** by missxflawless caught my attention, kept it, and inspired me. So . . . this is my version of how the couple met in Collins' POV. Like I said before, this is my first fanfic so please be nice to me. And if people like it, I'll write more.**

**I own nothing. The Almighty Larson owns it all.**

"Shit!", I murmured as the harsh winds blew in my face. I tried to close my coat to keep the cold night air out. Not that it would help since the damn zipper broke off the minute I put on for the first time. Hey, can't blame a guy for tryin'. But, you _can _blame him for not being smart enough to save up for a car. You know, a car. The thing with four wheels, an engine, and, my personal favorite, a heater. Hmm . . . maybe I can hot-wire a car or something . . . never mind. The last thing I need is to be arrested on Christmas eve.

The wind blows again and I shift the bag I'm holding to my shoulder so I can use my hands to cover my ears. "Why must you mock me so?", I asked my beanie that I wore everywhere. There's a downside to wearing my beanie. It doesn't cover my ears and it's knitted. Well, I'm almost home . . . where there's probably no heat either. Come to think of it, it's most likely colder than it is out here.

Fuck! I take my hands off of my ears, shove my hands in my pockets, and continue walking in the cold. The fucking freezing cold! I swear next year, I'm leaving. I don't care what month, what week, what day, what time, or how the hell it happens. I'm moving somewhere like . . . Santa Fe. Yeah, that's it. Good ol' sunny Santa Fe, New Mexico. I might even open a restaurant or something. What a great premature New Year's resolution. Or maybe I'll go back to MIT and not get kicked out again for having a theory.

They only kicked me out cause my theory used common sense. Which is something that the board at MIT is afraid of. Either that or it's cause I'm black and gay. Imagine that. Being kicked outta MIT because of a bunch of racist homophobes. THE BASTARDS! But I digress. As I'm walking, I see something in the middle of the street up ahead. I don't know what it is, but it looks like it's bleeding.

Holy shit! It's a dog! "Ugh!", I grimaced and made a gagging noise. This is exactly why I'm a vegetarian. I don't have to witness my food bleed to death before I eat it. (Not that I'd ever eat a dog.) I start walking again at a faster pace, in desperation to get out of the cold and away from the dog, but I slow down when I approach a street drummer. He looks like he's Latino or something . . . I don't know, but he has a nice beat. Just to be nice, I dug into my pocket and pulled out some change. Four whole quarters. (Well, what do you expect from a poor black man?)

I looked down at the drummer's . . . what is that? A pickle tub? Whatever. "Merry Christmas. May your holiday be less shittier than mine.", I said, dropping the quarters onto the Latino's . . . uh . . . drum. He smiled and I walked on, pretending not to notice his unforgettable smile. Home! Finally! And the lights are out. Only meaning the heat is off too. Damn-it! This has gotta be Benny's doing.

I went over to the payphone, that I rigged so nobody had to use money (cause I'm that damn good), and dialed the number that I was surprised I remembered after 7 months away from home. "Hello?" Mark had answered the phone. It's good to here his voice. I love that little albino pumpkin-head. "Hey, guess who's back in town." Like he doesn't already know. "It's Collins, man. Throw down the key." I don't know why we don't just get that damn thing copied. I see Mark come out on the fire escape.

"Hey!", he said, as he threw the key down to me and I missed it. Only because my hands are fucking freezing! I bent down to get the key. When I stood up there were three guys coming toward me and one of them had a bat. This can't be good. "You got a light, man?", one of them asks me to my relief. "Yeah.", I replied, digging in my pocket for my lighter. Before I even had time to think, the guy that asked me for a light punched me in the stomach and another one tried to grab my bag.

"Gimmie that shit!", the bag snatcher yelled. _As you wish. _I threw the bag at him and ran. "Get that son-of-a-bitch!" I heard one of them yell as I ran down an alley. Not the smartest move now that I think about it. I looked back to see how far behind me they were and tripped. On what I have no idea. Two of the guys started kicking and punching me as the third one put his bat to some use. "Pick his ass up! Come on!", the bat guy yelled. The other two did as he said and the fucker jabbed me in the stomach with the bat! I fell to ground, they got their last hits in, and then they took my coat.

Great. Now if I don't bleed to death, I'll fucking freeze to death! I managed to sit upright after a while. "How do you stay on your feet when on every street it's trick or treat? And tonight it's trick.", I asked myself before putting a hand to my face and discovering blood when I pulled it away. "Welcome back to town.", I said to myself sarcastically, examining the blood on my hand. I tried to stand up . . . and failed. "Oh, I should lie down. Everything's brown and, uh-oh, I feel sick." I felt my eyes closing as I slipped into unconsciousness. "Gettin' dizzy . . ."

**So, what'd ya think? Dija like it? Dija hate it? Please review.**


	2. An Angel of the First Degree

**Hey! It's me again! If you reviewed my first chapter, thanks! I'm just happy people are acknowledging the fact that this story exists. Anyway, this is my second chapter and I hope you like it or my spirit will be crushed into a million little bite-sized pieces.**

**I own nothing. The Almighty Larson owns it all.**

"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh . . . ", I groaned finally coming to. _God. How long was I out?_ I managed to sit up, but I didn't take any chances at trying to stand. The wind blew, sending shivers up my spine. I began wondering why I was so cold. Then reality hit me. It's the middle of winter, I'm sitting in an alley cause I just got my ass kicked by three guys and a bat, and my coat got taken away from me. Damn. Gettin' mugged is a bitch. More wind.

I put my hands in my pant's pocket to try to find something that would warm me up and ended up finding three useless things. A blunt, a lighter, and a key. Okay . . . maybe not all useless in this situation. I lit the blunt, stuck it in my mouth, and put the key back in my pocket. What can I say? I like to high when I'm hurt. It takes away some of the pain.

As I sit on the ground (the cold, hard ground) bleeding, smoking, and occasionally coughing, I hear a distant beat. Like . . . drumming or something. I take my blunt out of my mouth, cough some more, and the drumming stops. As soon as it starts again, I have a coughing attack. I cough up some blood onto my hand and the drumming stops again. I glance to my right as I continue to cough and see a person coming toward me.

Wait a minute . . . a person? Oh fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck! What if it's one of those guys and they're back to finish me off? It doesn't look like the bat guy. Besides, he looks too small. Uh-oh. He's gettin' closer and closer and closer . . . oh shit! "Oh my God. You okay, honey?", a small, timid voice said. I look up and find out that I just panicked for no damn reason.

It's the Latino that was playin' the drums . . . er . . . pickle tub. "I'm afraid so.", I said, wiping some of the blood off of my mouth with my shirt sleeve. "Did they get anything, or . . . ?", the Latino spoke again. Damn he has a nice voice. I could just listen to him talk all day. Oh! He asked me a question didn't he? "I didn't have any money, but they took my stuff." I put my blunt out and threw it somewhere.

The Latino stared at me for a moment, came a little closer, took a handkerchief out of his back pocket, and tried to wipe some of the blood away. As bad as I wanted him to touch me, I was in a hell of a lot of pain. "No, I'm fine. I'm fine.", I lied. The Latino gave me a sympathetic look. "I'm Angel.", he said, still giving me that same look. "Angel?", I repeated. _You got that right. _

They say you can tell a lot by a person's name and his name suits him perfectly. He came to my rescue just like an angel. Looks like one too. I catch my self staring and look down for a moment before realizing that when a person tells you their name, they expect you to tell them _yours _in return. If you don't forget it. But that'll never happen to me! I know my name! It's . . . it's . . . uh . . . goddamn-it! What _is _my name? Okay, think Tom, think!

Oh yeah . . . Tom. But Tom what? God I need about three bottles of Stoli right now! Wait! Stoli . . . alcohol . . . Tom Collins! That's it! "Friends call me Collins. Tom . . . Tom Collins.", I finally said. Damn I feel like an idiot right now. An idiot in pain. Angel stares at me for a moment and then puts his tub and drumsticks down. "Come on.", he said, putting his small hands around my arm.

"Let's get you cleaned up." He helps me up and I wince and groan in pain a little. Though I do like the fact that he's touching me. He gives me an apologetic look before picking up his sticks and tub. We start walking out of the alley. Well, Angel was walking . . . I, on the other hand, was limping. He hands me his handkerchief and I wipe the blood off of my face with it. "I sort of have to hurry. I have a Life Support meeting to go to.", he said.

_That was random._ And yet, I find myself liking his randomness. "Life Support?", I repeated, looking at him curiously. "Yeah. It's for people with AIDS. People like me." Wow. That was blunt. Should I? He wasn't afraid to admit it, why should I be? "Me too.", I said just as bluntly. Angel's eyes widened. "Really?", he asked.

"Yeah.", I said, trying to keep the conversation going. "Do you mind me asking how you got it?" I ponder over this for a moment. "I had a lot of boyfriends in college. I went through 15 actually." Angel's eyes widen again. "15?" I chuckle at the look on his face. "Yup. And that was just my freshman year." That makes him laugh. His laugh is about as great as his voice. After Angel's laugh attack, we walk in silence for a minute.

"Can I ask how you . . . uh . . . you know.", I said, breaking the silence. Angel sighed. "My ex-boyfriend gave it to me after cheating on me.", he said. "Maybe he was one of your 15 boyfriends." I felt myself smile. "That depends on what his name was.", I said, on the verge of laughter. "Billy." Angel's smiling now too and my mouth drops open as I pretend to be shocked.

"Billy was _your _boyfriend.", I joked. We share a laugh at this and about three seconds later, I trip over a curb and fall into the street, hitting my knee on the curb as I go down and my head on the concrete of the street. "Ow! Shit!", I yelled. "Oh my God.", Angel said, smiling. "Are you okay Tom?" He starts giggling. I look up at him with a somewhat angry expression on my face as he bursts into full-blown laughter. "It ain't funny!", I yelled.

I didn't phase Angel, he just kept laughing. _So __that's__ the way you wanna play it, huh? Well, Angel, if you wanna laugh, I'll give you somethin' to laugh at! _I start to get up and stop myself. I then clutch my knee and start rocking back and forth on the ground. "AHHHHHHHHHH! SHIT!" Angel stops his laughter long enough to see me lying on the ground lookin' like I'm in pain. _Tee hee._

"What's wrong?", he asked. "OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OW, OW, OW! ANGEL HELP!" I'm laughing on the inside. Angel looks freaked out and he kneels down beside me. "What is it? Is it your knee?" He's concerned now. He reaches out to touch my knee. As soon as the tip of his finger grazes my knee, I clutch it even tighter."DON'T TOUCH IT! OH GOD, ANGEL! IT HURTS! I THINK I BROKE IT!" I force a small tear out of my eye.

"Oh God. Don't cry. Just let me help you up." Angel's seriously scared now. To add to the drama, I take one of my hands off my knee and clutch the side of my head. _Maureen would be so proud._ "Everything's . . . fuzzy.", I said. "Oh no. Don't pass out!" I wanna laugh so damn bad, but I maintain my role as a severely injured black man. "Angel . . . come closer." Angel does so. "Closer." He comes closer.

"What is it?", Angel asked. I hear a little squeak in his voice. "You're . . . you're . . . so . . . ", I pause for a moment. "So what?" I think he's thinking about calling an ambulance or something. "So . . . so gullible!" I have a laughing attack of my own. Angel's mouth dropped open in shock. "Oh my God! That wasn't funny! You scared the shit out of me! I thought you were dying!", he yelled. "¡No haga alguna vez esto otra vez¡Pensé que hicieron daño seriamente a usted¡No puedo creerle¡Era tan maldito medio!"

That, I didn't understand. Not one little bit. I got myself up off the ground and put my hands on Angel's shoulder's. "Angel, calm down. It was only a joke.", I said. Strangely, that calmed him down. "You are _so _lucky." Angel's voice was cynical. "Lucky that you're nice?", I asked. "No. Lucky that we're in front of my building." I look at the building and then back at Angel. "You still wanna help me out?" Angel smiles. "Of course I do. Besides, you just added to your injuries." He points to my knee, which is now bleeding. "Come on." He takes my hand in his and slowly leads me into the building.

**That's chapter 2! Hope you liked it! Review please!**

**Translation: "¡No haga alguna vez esto otra vez¡Pensé que hicieron daño seriamente a usted¡No puedo creerle¡Era tan maldito medio!" : "Don't ever do that again! I thought you were seriously hurt! I can't believe you! That was so damn mean!"**


	3. Let's Get a BandAid for Your Knee

**Yippie! Chapter 3! Okay, I just wanna thank Ginger Glinda for pointing out that Collins refers to himself as black a little too much. I wouldn't have caught that cause I refer to myself as black all the time. It's only cause I like my race. SAY IT LOUD . . . I'M BLACK AND I'M PROUD! Anyhoo, there will be a limit on how much he says that from now on. HAPPY READING!**

**I own nothing. The Almighty Larson owns it all.**

Angel kept my hand in his as he helped me up the stairs. I'm gettin' tired and there's a pain in my knee that won't go away no matter how slow I walk. Finally! The top of the stairs! I see a few doors down the hall and . . . we're turning to face . . . more stairs!? What the hell!? "Angel?", I said, trying to keep all groans of pain out of my voice. "Where exactly do you live?"

Angel looks up and gives me an "oh-shit-I-forgot-you-were-hurt" look. "Third floor." My eyes widen. "Third floor!?", I repeat. "You've gotta be fucking kidding me!" Angel hangs his head like he's in shame. "I'm sorry.", he whispered, looking at his feet.

He drops my hand and brings his hand up to his face and wipes his eyes. Oh damn. Why the hell did I just do that!? I didn't mean to yell at him. He probably feels really bad right now. We stop walking. "Angel, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to . . ." He glances up at me and I see his eyes are wet. I put my hand under his chin and gently pull his head up.

"I'm so sorry.", I said. He wipes his eyes again. "It's okay." I'm such an asshole! "I shouldn't have yelled at you. I'm so sorry. I deserve to be thrown down these damn steps or . . ." Angel puts his index finger to my lips, which shuts me up. "It's okay. Really." He pulls his finger back and takes my hand again.

"Do you think you can make it up one more flight of stairs?", he asked. "If you help me I can." He smiles at me and we start walking, very slowly, up the last flight of stairs. When we reach the last step, my leg goes numb and I start to fall. This just isn't my day! I fall and land right on top of Angel in the hallway.

His eyes widen and I blush a little. _Great. He's probably gonna throw me down the steps and run. _To my surprise, he starts laughing. Okay, now I'm confused. "Uh . . . Angel? What in the world are you laughin' at?", I asked. "You're blushing.", Angel said as he continued to giggle. I roll off of him and put my hands over my face.

He turns to me and removes my hands. "It's okay. You're cute when you blush." I blush even more. "Awwwww!" He's teasing me now. Come on Collins, change the subject to somethin' else. Anything else! Aha! "You know people are gonna think we're crazy if they see us lyin' in the hallway like this.", I said.

"You're right.", Angel said as he got up off the floor and helped me up too. _It worked. I'm a genius! _When I can finally feel my leg, we walk down the hall for about five seconds before we stop again. "Here we are!" Angel takes a key out of his jacket pocket and unlocks the door. Once we're inside, Angel lets go of my hand and turns on a nearby lamp.

"Welcome to my humble abode!", he said, helping me to the couch. I sit down and shiver. "It's cold in here.", I said. What a way to start a conversation. "I know. Sorry about that Tom. My heat was turned off this morning." He called me Tom again. I better correct him. "Angel, would you mind calling me Collins instead of Tom?", I asked.

"Why?" I can tell he's got a thing for first names. "Cause I hate it when people call me Tom. It's one syllable away from Thomas and I loathe that name." Angel smiles. "Sure thing To . . . Collins." I chuckle. "It'll take some gettin' use to.", I said. Angel leaves and returns with some cotton balls, some peroxide, and a gauze.

He pours some peroxide on one of the cotton balls and tries to pull my pant leg up with one hand. "Okay, this isn't gonna work. You're gonna have to take your pants off.", he said. My eyes go as wide as dinner plates. "Say what?" Angel giggles, obviously realizing that my mind is in the gutter. "I need you to take your pants off so I can clean your knee up."

My eyes go back to their normal size. "Oh. Um . . . okay." I stand up and take my pants off so now all I have on is my vest, three undershirts, and my boxers. The coldness immediately hits my legs as I sit back down. I look down at my knee and watch as Angel wipes the blood off of my knee revealing a long, deep cut.

He gently puts the gauze on my knee and then kisses it. "What was that for?", I asked. "Don't you know kisses make everything better?", Angel replied with a smile. I smile back as he picks up my pants. "I could clean these for you.", he said, showing me the giant blood stain on them. "Thanks." He starts examining the stain. I can't keep from staring now.

At Angel, not at the pants. It's not fair. Someone as sweet and undoubtedly innocent as him shouldn't have to die because his stupid ass boyfriend cheated on him. I can tell he thinks the same thing and just hides his feelings. Even though we're gonna face the same fate, I feel sorry for him.

Yet at the same time, I find myself wanting to be with him. I'm actually starting to think I might . . . love him. Is that bad? I mean, I know it's weird to say you love someone you've only known for 45 minutes, but is it bad? This is crazy! I don't even really believe in love at first sight. I guess there _is _a first time for everything. I'll figure it out later. I sit back on the couch and wince in pain as I do.

Damn bruises. Out of the corner of his eye, Angel sees this and gets concerned. "You okay?", he asked. "I'm fine, but you look uncomfortable. You know you can sit on your own couch. I don't bite." Angel smiles at me. "That's too bad. I like a man that bites." He starts laughing and soon I join in.

We laugh for a good a minute. "Are you hungry?" I'm not really that hungry, but, on any occasion, a box of Captain Crunch would taste so good. "No, I'm good. Kinda tired though." Angel stands up. "You can stay here if you want.", he said. "I can stay here?", I asked. _I'd love to! _"Sure you can. My door's always open.", Angel replied. I ponder over this for a moment . . . oh who am I kidding?

I don't have to think about whether or not I wanna stay! Oh wait . . . Mark and Roger! Shit! "My friends are waiting.", I said. "They'll just be waiting until the morning then, cause it's getting late, I don't want you hurt again, _and_ you don't wanna leave here without these do you?"

He dances with my pants teasingly. My mouth drops open. "That ain't fair! You can't hold me hostage by keeping my pants away from me!" Angel smirks. "Oh, can't I?" I sigh and give in. "Fine. I'll stay." Angel jumps up and down while clapping his hands.

"Yay! I'll be right back. I gotta go put your pants in the washer." He leaves and I stretch out on the couch. I yawn and start to fall asleep. Seconds later, I feel a blanket being placed on top of me and a kiss on my cheek. "Goodnight Collins.", Angel said. I smile and drift off to sleep.

**Fin! That's chappy number 3! Thanks again to Ginger Glinda! Please review! Prettttttttttttttyyyyyyyyyyyyy pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasssssssssssssseeeeeeeeeeeeeee?**


	4. Angel's a GIRL?

**Okeeday peoples! This is chapter nomero cuatro! (As if you didn't already know that!) Just for HAlf - BlOOd PriiNCESS**, **I edited this story and split the paragraphs up. No need to thank me (though a thanks would be nice). I just aim to please! Now, let's get on with the chapter then, shall we?**

**I own nothing. The Almighty Larson owns it all.**

_We kiss passionately. I have Angel pinned against a wall, attacking his neck with kisses. He seems to be enjoying it. My tongue darts out to taste his mocha colored skin. "Collins . . .", he moaned. His moans are like music to my ears. He gently pushes me off of him. "What's wrong?", I asked. "Nothing's wrong. I just . . . I wanna please you." I pull him in for one last passionate kiss before we switch places so that I'm pinned to the wall. He drops to his knees and I watch as he unbuttons and unzips my pants . . ._

_**CRASH!**_

I stir awake and look around, remembering where I am instantly. Then I remember the dream I was interrupted from. _Damn! Always when it's gettin' good! _I sit up and notice my pants are folded neatly over the back of the couch. I smiled before standing up and putting them on quickly. It's colder now than it was last night.

I sit back down on the couch and start thinking about what happened last night and why I'm in an apartment I'm not familiar with. _Let's see. Walking in the cold, a dead dog, the key thrown, a chasing, a mugging, and a rescue by an angel. _Angel. A beautiful name for a beautiful person. I think about how I'd tell Angel how I feel about him. Then I hear that noise again followed by a loud terrified screech.

_**CRASH!**_

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!" I practically jump up off the couch. The noise and the screech came from the kitchen. Oh God. Angel! "Angel? You okay?", I called. Angel came running out of the kitchen with a skillet in his hand. "IT'S GONNA GET ME!", he yelled before diving under the blanket I'd been using.

"Angel? What's wrong with you?", I asked. Angel came from under the blanket slowly and placed the skillet on the floor. He scanned the area quickly before deciding it was safe to step onto the floor. His eyes are wide with fear. I give him a gentle shake. "Angel? What's wrong?" He looked at me for a moment as if his brain was takin' a while to comprehend what I just asked him.

"I-I was i-in the k-kitchen tr-trying to find something for breakfast a-a-and then I saw it!" So not enough information. "Saw what?", I asked. "I-I saw . . ." He cut himself off and glanced at the ground near the doorway of the kitchen. His eyes widen almost instantly. "THERE IT IS! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Angel jumps into my arms and wraps his arms around my neck while still staring at one spot. I look at the same spot and finally see what he's freakin' out about. _**That's**__ what he's afraid of? _"Angel are you talkin 'bout that lil' spider over there?", I asked. He nods his head. "I tried to kill it, but the fucker wouldn't die! It won't leave me alone! Collins, can you get rid of it?"

Afraid of a spider. I've never met anybody with a case of arachnophobia that's this bad. "Get rid of it?" Angel nods and buries his face in my chest. I'm likin' this. Thank God for spiders! "What do want me to do?", I asked. "Kill it." Angel's words are muffled and they somewhat tickle my chest. "I ain't gonna kill it Angel."

Angel looks up at me. "Why not?" He's lookin' straight into my eyes. "Cause it's just a lil' fella." I put Angel on the couch, go over to the spider, and pick it up. I let it crawl around in my hand. "See?" I hold the spider out so Angel can get a good look at it. "I've seen it and I want it dead!" He covers himself from the neck down with the blanket.

"Can't I just put him outside?", I asked. Sure the spider's a pest, but it's innocent. "I don't care what you do just get it away from me!" I put the spider out on the fire escape. "Bye, bye lil' guy." I walk over to the couch and sit next to Angel. "Why are you so scared of spiders?", I asked. "Cause I just am." Angel's hiding somethin'.

"You and I both know that that ain't the real reason." I stare at Angel for a moment until he can't stand it anymore. "Fine! I'll tell you!", he said. _Ha ha! I win! _Angel sighs. "When I was four, I was playing with a spider that I found in my room. So I decided to go show it to my sister and my parents. Then it tried to run away. And when I finally caught it, I went to show my parents and it bit me and made me bleed. So from that day on, I vowed that spiders were public enemy number one."

I chuckle. "Hey! It's not funny!" Angel crossed his arms. "You gotta admit it's a _little _funny.", I said, still chuckling slightly. "You should be nice to me. I missed Life Support last night because of you . . . oh shit! Life Support!" I stopped my small laughter. "What about Life Support?", I asked. "There's a meeting this morning! I gotta go get ready!"

Angel got off the couch and ran to his bedroom. As I wait, I hear Angel searching for something to wear, getting in the shower, getting out of the shower, and going back to the bedroom to change. I wait a few more seconds before Angel returns . . . wait a minute! Wait one damn minute! That's a girl! That ain't Angel! Is it?

My mouth drops open. "Angel? Is that . . . you?", I asked. The girl smiles. "Yeah. It's me." I look Angel up and down. He's wearing a black bob wig with a flower in it, a white undershirt, some type of Santa Claus jacket, a zebra print belt that matches the stockings he has on, black boots, and I'm pretty sure there's a skirt somewhere. "Well, what do you think?" Angel's eyes look hopeful.

"Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaammmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!", I said, stretching the word for emphasis. "Do you like it?", Angel asked nervously. "Like it? Hell no! I fuckin' love it!" Angel beams from ear to ear. "Really?", he said. Or is it she? Hmm . . . "Yeah! Just one question. Should I call you a she or a he?" Angel giggles a little. "She would be fine.", he . . . she said.

"Uh . . . so when does this Life Support meeting start?", I asked. "10:30." 10:30? But it's not even eight yet! It's like . . . 7:25! "And what the hell are we supposed to do for three hours?", I asked. "Well, you could introduce me to your friends that are probably still waiting for you." Oh yeah. I forgot about my white boys! "That could work.", I said with a smile.

**That's chapter 4! Hope you liked it! Sorry if there are any misspelled or left out words! Please review!**


	5. Dog Murderers & Coat Venders

**I'm havin' fun writing this story. I never thought people would actually like it, but they do so I'm happy! YAY! Alrighty, here's chapter 5! HAPPY READING!**

**I own nothing. The Almighty Larson owns it all.**

"You can't be serious!" Angel looks down at her feet and then into her pickle tub that contains two bottles of Stoli, a box of Captain Crunch, 1,500 bucks, and firewood. "I wish I wasn't.", she said. I can't believe this! I really can't! I won't! "Can you look me in the eyes and tell me that you honestly killed a dog for money?" Angel nods. "But all I did was drum. The dog jumped off the ledge herself." I gape at her. "_And_ it was a girl? She coulda been pregnant Angel! You coulda killed her babies! Did you ever think about that?"

Angel looks up at me and I feel a smile spread across my face. "Are you joking or are you yelling at me again, mister?" She puts her free hand on one of her hips. "That depends. What would happen if I _was_ yelling at you. After all, you _are_ a dog murderer.", I said, still smiling. Angel was silent. I glance down at the street and I soon feel a hand smack me in the back of my head. "Ow!" I look up and see a smiling Angel.

"You only got me cause I wasn't lookin'.", I said. Angel's smile became even wider. "You are now." She puts the tub down, tackles me to the ground, and sits on me. I start struggling, but she eventually stops me. "Damn girl! You're stronger than you look!", I said. Angel smiles. "I know. Now, are you gonna take back what you said about me being a dog murderer?", she asked. "NEVER!", I yelled.

Angel looks me in the eyes. "Are you sure?" Her voice sends a chill up my spine. "Yes. I'm posolutely, absitively sure.", I said. "Okay, but I really hate to do this." Angel puts her hands on each one of my sides. "Last chance.", she said in singsong voice. "Angel, what are you . . . ?" I don't finish my question before Angel starts tickling me and laughing maniacally.

I squirm and try to break free, but it's no use. "Angel . . . stop!" That's all I manage to say, I'm laughing so hard. About five more seconds pass before Angel finally stops tickling me. I'm chuckling and panting slightly. "Now do you take it back?", Angel asked with a smile. "If I say yes, will you get off me?", I asked. "Sure." I smile. "Then, no."

Angel smiles and stands up. She straightens her jacket then helps me up. I pick the tub up and we walk for a little while and I see a coat vender folding . . . well . . . coats. Ooh! Coats! I look at the coat vender and Angel does the same. Whoa! That coat looks strangely familiar. Angel and I start walking toward the coat vender. "Well hi there!", the coat vender says as she puts the familiar looking coat behind her. "I can tell you need a coat.", she said to me. "Can I interest you in anything?"

"Can I see the coat you just put behind you?", I asked. "Are you sure? I have others. Ooh! How about a fur?" I roll my eyes. "No thank you." The coat vender looks disappointed. "It's owned by an MBA that lives uptown and it's in perfect shape." I sigh. "No thank you. Now can I please see the coat I asked you about?", I asked. "I know what would look great on you! I've got a tweed here that was broken in just two nights ago by some greedy broker. He gave it to me cause he went broke and then he broke down."

"FOR THE LAST DAMN TIME, NO FUCKING THANK YOU!", I yelled. I'm gettin' really irritated. "Alright! Sheesh!", the coat vender said. She turns around, picks up the coat, and my mouth drops open. Oh heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelllllllllllllllllllllll no! "What's wrong Collins?", Angel asked. "THAT'S MY COAT!", I yelled. The coat vender gives me a confused look. "It is?", she asked. "YEAH! IT IS! GIVE IT BACK!" The coat vender examines my coat. "In order to get it, you gotta give me 25 bucks.", she said.

"I'M NOT ABOUT TO FUCKING PAY FOR MY OWN DAMN COAT! YOU GOT 3 MOTHER-FUCKING SECONDS TO GIVE ME THAT COAT OR I'LL GO FIND AND/OR STEAL A GUN AND BUST A CAP IN YOUR ASS!" Yeah. I'm pissed. We all know this. "Collins, sweetie, calm down.", Angel said in a soothing voice. She took some money out of the pickle tub. "Now, how much for the coat sugar?" I'm still heated. Ima go off in about two damn seconds!

"25.", the coat vender said. Angel wrinkles her nose. "Can't you lower the price?", she asked. "To what?" Angel thinks for a moment. "15." The coat vender's eyes widen.

"25."

"15."

"25."

"15."

"No way! How 'bout 24?"

"15."

"24."

"15."

"24."

"15."

"Maybe some other time, but not today. I'll go to 23."

"15."

"23."

"15."

"23."

"15."

"Why?"

"It's old." Angel gives me an apologetic look.

"Fine. 22."

"15."

"21?"

"15."

"17."

"15."

The coat vender sighs. "15."

"Sold!"

Angel takes my coat from the coat vender and looks at it. "You know what? Now that I look at it, I don't think I wanna buy it.", she said. "But Angel . . . I'm cold.", I said. "I know sweetie, but look." She holds my coat in front of me and I notice that the sleeve is missing. "What the hell happened to my sleeve woman!?", I asked the coat vender. "That's the way I got it.", the coat vender said.

"It's okay Collins. We'll get a better one. I know a guy who sells coats that are probably warmer than these anyway. He works by a subway station, but we'll have to wait until tomorrow since it's Christmas. Okay?" I sigh as Angel gives the coat back to the vender. "Okay. Just one question. How fast do you run in those heels?" Angel looks down at her feet. "Pretty fast when I have to. Why?" I snatch my coat from the vender. "RUN!" I take off runnin' with Angel centimeters behind. "HEY! GET BACK HERE!", the coat vender yelled after us. "THANKS FOR THE FREEBIE, BITCH!", I yelled back.

When we're a safe distance away from her, we stop running. Angel takes the coat out of my hand. "There's nothing you can do with this since the sleeve's missing.", she said. "I know, but it's mine." We pass a person lyin' on the ground shivering. "Aw, that poor guy.", Angel said. We stare for a moment then I take my coat from her, walk over to the cold guy, and place it on top off him. He looks up and smiles at me. "Thank you.", he said. "No problem.", I replied. Angel and I continue walking. "That was really sweet Collins.", Angel said after a while.

I smile. "He needed it more than I do." Angel kisses me on the cheek. "It was still sweet. I'm proud of you." My smile widens. We're almost to the loft. Which only means Angel's gonna meet Mark and Roger very soon. And they better not mess things up for me with Angel or I'll kick their white asses! "What are your friends like?", Angel asked. I think for a moment. "They're . . . well . . . you'll see."

**YAY! Chapter 5! WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Sorry, I'm a little hyper which really isn't normal for me . . . most of the time. Anyhoo, I hope you liked it! Next chapter: The Loft & Life Support! PLEASE REVIEW!**


	6. Today 4 U

**Okay, I lied. There's no life support in this. Instead, this chapter is about Collins' view of Angel's song (Today 4 U) and some other stuff that I made happen after they leave the loft! This chapter has been edited thanks to smart people who actually know what Angel says in this scene in the movie. So, thanks smart people!**** Believe it or not, this idea came to me in a dream. Only, **_**I **_**was in Angel's position. Other than that, HAPPY READING! **

**I own nothing. The Almighty Larson owns it all.**

Six more blocks. Just six more blocks to the loft. My mind is racing and my heart is pounding. I look over at Angel to see how she's doing. She's staring straight ahead, smiling, and humming something. Why the hell is she so calm? If anyone's panicking right now, it should be her. For the first in my life, I have no idea what's goin' on. I'm dumfounded, baffled, abashed, befuddled, bewildered, discombobulated, flummoxed. In other words, I'm fuckin' confused!

Five blocks now. Angel's still humming and I'm still out of it. "Angel, whatcha' hummin'?", I asked. "Oh nothing. Just a little song I made up this morning while you were asleep.", she replied. I smile. "You sing?" Angel smiles back at me. "Sometimes." There's a silence between us. "Can I hear your song?", I asked after the silence. "I'm thinking about singing it for your friends. Do you think they'd like it?" Angel seems excited about meetin' Mark and Roger. "I wouldn't know. I haven't heard it.", I said.

"Then, you're just gonna have to wait, aren't you?", Angel said with a smile. Four blocks. "Collins, could you please tell me at least a little bit about your friends. I know you want it to be a surprise, but I don't think I can wait." A huge grin spreads across my face. "I have to wait to hear your song so you have to wait to see what my friends are like." Angel pouts. "But Colllllllllllllliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnssssssssss! I wanna know! Tell me! Please?" Ha ha. She's begging.

_It's sexy when she begs._ Whoa! Dirty thought! Bad Collins! Bad, bad, bad! "Sorry Angel. My lips are sealed.", I said.Angel comes closer to me. "Please?", she said. "No." She comes closer.

"Pretty please?"

"No."

Closer. "Pretty, pretty please?" I shake my head. "Uh uh." She walks in front of me, I stop walking, and she puts her hands on my chest. "Pretty, pretty, pretty please?", she said. My heart starts pounding again as I feel Angel's hands start to rub my chest. "Uh . . ." I can't think of anything to say. Not even no. "Pretty, pretty, pretty please with ice cream, sprinkles, and one of those little artificial cherries that most people pretend to like on top?" She's playing with my facial hair now.

I can't help but smile. "Fine.", I said, causing Angel to squeal and trap me in the tightest of hugs. "Yay!" She tightens the hug (if that's even possible) and now she's crushing me. Seriously, I can't frickin' breathe! "Angel!", I yelled. "Yeah?" She tightens the hug yet again. "Can't breathe . . . can't move . . . losing feeling!" Angel finally lets go of me. Oxygen never tasted so damn good!

"Sorry." I rub the back of my shoulder. "It's okay. I think you hit a bruise though.", I said. "You okay?" I nod and there's another moment of silence as we start walking again. Three blocks. "Well?", Angel said after a while. "Oh, right. Well, Mark, if he hasn't changed, is a film-maker that never goes _anywhere _without his camera." I chuckle a little. "That boy loves his camera just as much as his girlfriend. Maybe even more." Angel looks interested. "Wow. A film-maker? That's cool. What's his girlfriend's name?"

"Maureen Johnson. I personally like to call her 'The-Drama-Queen-Maureen.'", I said with a smile. "Is she a drama queen?", Angel asked. "Trust me. You ain't seen drama 'til you've met Maureen." Angel nods. "What about your other friend?"

"I know for a fact Roger's still the same person. A musician that wants to write one more song before he dies." Angel gives me a confused look. "Is he accident prone or something?", she asked. "No. He has AIDS. Writin' one more song was his goal ever since his girlfriend committed suicide.", I said. _I don't think I shoulda said that._ "Aw, poor baby. Is he alright?", Angel asked. I shrug. "This is my first time being home in 7 months." Two blocks. The loft's coming up fast.

I'm gettin' nervous again. One block. No turnin' back now. We enter the building. Now we're walking up the first flight of stairs . . . second . . . third. We're on the fourth floor. Thirty steps. Here we are. The loft. I dig in my pocket and pull out the key. I start to unlock the door and Angel stops me. "What is it?", I asked. She whispers something in my ear. "Are you serious?", I said. Angel nods. "Yeah. You wanna hear my song don't you?", she said. "Well . . . yeah."

"Then you gotta introduce me." Angel smiles. "Maureen makes me introduce her too. I can already tell ya'll are gonna get along just fine.", I said, causing Angel to giggle. "Alright, I'll introduce you, but let me talk to friends for a minute, kay?" Angel smiles and nods. I unlock the door, take the firewood out of the pickle tub, which is in my hand, put the key in my mouth, slide the door open, and walk inside. "Merry Christmas, bitches!", I said. The first person to speak to me is, unsurprisingly, Mark. "Hey, Collins!", he said.

I take the key out of my mouth and throw it to him. "Your key.", I said. He gives me a strange look. "Yeah, 14 hours later. What the hell happened to you?" We hug and he hits the back of my shoulder where the bruise that _really _hurts is. "Ow, ow, ow.", I said. Mark lets go off me and gives me a worried look. "Are you alright?", he asked. I think of Angel and smile. "I've never been better. Here." I hand him the pickle tub and he looks in it as I drop the fire wood in an unoccupied place on the floor._ I wonder why Roger ain't said nothin' yet._ "Oh, hi.", Roger said. That's all I get? Rip off! "'Oh, hi.'", I mocked. "After 7 months?"

Roger smiles weakly. "I'm sorry.", he said. Better be! I give him a hug, which, to my surprise, he returns. After a few seconds, the hug ends. I go back over to Mark and the pickle tub. "You know what you need?", I said to Roger. "This boy could use . . ." I pull a bottle of Stoli and some dixie cups out of the tub. " . . . some Stoli." Both Mark and Roger's eyes go wide. "This is a complete Christmas feast. Thank you.", Mark said. I distribute the cups. "You struck gold at MIT.", Roger added. "No." I take the lid off the Stoli. "They expelled me for my theory of actual reality."

I pour the Stoli evenly into our cups. "One for you . . . one for you . . . for me. So I came back home. Merry Christmas." Mark "clinks" his cup with mine. "Cheers.", he said. Roger and I imitate the little toasting. "Welcome home.", he said. We all take a drink. Well . . . I actually downed mine, but I still drank it. I suddenly remember the job that I got that doesn't start until after the holidays.

"I got a teaching gig at NYU.", I said. "Oh, so _that's _how you can afford to splurge on us.", Mark said. I smile. "Uh, no. Sit down." Mark and Roger do as I say and I start clearing off the table and putting things in the tub that weren't in there before. Alright. Angel told me exactly what I have to say to introduce her properly. Only she said I have to sing it. Damn! Okay, here goes.

"Gentlemen, our benefactor on this Christmas day. Whose charity is only matched by talent, I must say." _I can't believe I'm actually doin' this with a smile on my face! _"A new member of the Alphabet City Avant-Garde . . ." I run over to the door and slowly slide it open. ". . . Angel Dumott Schunard!" Angel comes in and does a few spins. She has four 20 dollar bills in each of her hands. "Today for you, tomorrow for me!" She starts dancing. Nice. "Today for you . . ." She gives Roger four of the 20 dollar bills. " . . . tomorrow for me!" She gives the other four to Mark.

"And you should hear her beat!", I said. Angel takes her drumsticks out of her belt (yes, they were in her belt) and does a little beat on her leg. "You earned this in the street?", Mark asked.

That's when Angel starts singin'. "It was my lucky day today on Avenue A, when a lady in a limousine drove my way. She said, 'Darling, be a dear. Haven't slept in a year. I need your help to make my neighbor's yappy dog disappear." Wait! Making a dog disappear? Is this song about that dog she killed? "This Akita, Evita, just won't shut up. I believe if you play nonstop that pup will breathe it's very last high strung breath. I'm certain that cur will bark itself to death.'"

It _is _about the dog! She seriously made a song about killin' a dog! It's catchy though. "Today for you, tomorrow for me! Today for you, tomorrow for me!" Angel semi-rides Mark's bike across the loft. "We agreed on a fee, a $1,000 guarantee, tax free! And a bonus, if I trim her tree." She "trims" Roger's hair with her drumsticks and then stands on a small table. "Now, who could foretell that it would go so well? But sure as I am here that dog is now in doggy hell." Well, that explains why she killed it. If the dog was going to hell in the first place, it must've deserved to die, right?

"After an hour, Evita, in all her glory, on the window ledge of that 24th story. Like Thelma and Louise did when they got the blues," Angel did somersault type thing and her feet landed in my hands. "swan-dove into the courtyard of the Gracie Mews." She gets up and starts walking over to the counter, drumsticks in hand, lookin' like she's gonna take time for a drum solo. _Better clear that thing off. _I take everything off the counter and put it wherever.

Angel starts drumming a rather catchy beat on the counter as Mark, Roger, and I watch in amazement. She jumps on top of the counter and finishes her solo on the pipes above her head then jumps back on the floor and starts singing again. "Back on the street where I met my sweet." She does a sexy little dance and sits next to me. "Where he was moaning and groaning on the cold concrete." I'm not worried about Mark, but I look over at Roger to see what his response is to what Angel just said . . . sang. He sticks his tongue out and silently laughs at me. I mouth "No I wasn't" which isn't entirely true.

"The nurse took him home for some Mercurochrome. Then I dressed his wounds . . ." She does a back-flip off one of the pillar things. " . . . and got him back on his feet. Sing it! Today for you, tomorrow for me! Today for you, tomorrow for me!" She drops it like it's hot right in front of me so I take the opportunity to smack her ass. "I said, today for you, tomorrow for me." She sits on the table. "Today for you, tomorrow . . ." In the heat of the moment, I spin Angel around while she's still sittin' on the table. Once she stops spinning, she strikes a small pose and finishes her song by saying, " . . . FOR ME!"

We applaud. "Yo! That was dope!", I said. I high-five Angel just before the phone rings and the answering machine picked up. "SPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAK!" Ha! I remember the night they did that. I was too drunk to do it and they were just drunk enough. I wasn't, however, too drunk to come up with it! I pull out a joint, light it, take a puff, and offer it to Angel, who takes it gingerly.

"_Mark. Hi. It's me. Maureen."_

Mark sighs. He and Mo must be havin' problems. I notice that written in the window is: X-mas brunch? Just us? It's signed by a person named Mimi. Who's Mimi? Probably somebody Roger knows. I ask him about it, using only head motions and he shakes his head in response.

"_Look, I have a bit of a problem. I really need your help. I hired Joanne as my production manager . . . and I don't think she knows what the hell she's doing."_

Who the hell is Joanne?

"_If you could just . . . please, baby, come to the performance space . . ."_

Mark goes over to the phone and picks it up before Maureen finishes her sentence. "Hey, Maureen. Hi. Sure, I'll be there. Okay. Okay, see you soon." He hangs up the phone angrily. "Can you believe her?", he asked. _Gee, I don't know Mark. Am I not supposed to?_ "I mean, first she just dumps me . . ." Whoa! Back up! "Ooh, Maureen dumped you?", I asked. "Yes. She dumped me. For a lawyer named Joanne." _Why don't I know anything anymore!? _Angel, Roger, and I all chuckle and Mark gives us an "oh-shut-the-hell-up" look.

"And now she wants me to come help her fix her sound equipment.", he finished. Hey! Angel still has my joint! Nobody, I repeat, NOBODY gets high before ME! Especially when it's MY joint they're smokin'! I put my hand out and Angel gives me my joint back and I once again start smokin' it. "Well, Mark, you coulda said no.", I said matter-of-factly. Mark looks down. "I know . . . but . . ." He's blushing! "Aw, that's cute. You still love her.", I said teasingly.

"Yeah right.", Mark replied. I can see right through him. "You do.", I said. Angel puts her arm around me and we share a small laugh at Mark's face. "Bueno ese huevo si quieres sal.", she said. We share another laugh, even though I have no clue what it means. "Honey, we have to go.", she added. We do, don't we? "Oh. We got this gathering we gotta go to. Ya'll wanna come?", I asked. Roger looks up like he's interested. "Where?", he asked. "Life Support.", Angel replied. "On Christmas?" Yeah Roger. The meeting's today and today is Christmas. Damn you're slow! "Some people don't have anywhere else to go today. You should come." Look at that. Angel's only known him for 7 minutes and she's already treatin' him like she's known him forever.

"Knock yourselves out." I bet he meant that literally. Angel looks at Mark. "Well, Mark, everyone's welcome. It's not just for people with AIDS, okay?", she said. Mark puts on his coat and scarf and picks up his beloved camera. "Okay, yeah. I'll be there, but first I got a protest to save.", he said. I smile and turn to Roger. "See? Told you." I do my impression of a whip and Mark gives me an annoyed look. "I'm just playin' wit you, boy.", I said as he walked out the door. "Well, it's Christmas. Don't stay in the house all day.", I said to Roger, putting down my joint and following Mark out the door.

"Bye.", Angel said before . . . uh . . . hoping out the door after me. "That was a nice song.", I said as Angel and I walk down the stairs. She smiles. "Thanks Collins." I smile back at her. "No problem, but I wasn't moaning and groaning." She looks over at me. "Hey, you try coming up with a song in 15 minutes." I chuckle a little. "Well, it's 8:27. What should we do for the next 2 hours and 3 minutes?"

We walk outside. "I don't know. What do _you _wanna do?", Angel said.

"I don't know. What do _you _wanna do?"

"I don't know. What do _you _wanna do?"

"Well, I _don't _wanna do _this_."

"Me neither."

I see Mark's stopped to put film in his camera. "Hey Mark!", I called. Mark looks up, sees me, and starts walking away. _What the hell? _I pick up my pace and Angel does the same. We catch up with Mark. "I believe I said: Hey Mark!", I said. He ignores me. Why isn't he talkin' to me? "Hi Mark.", Angel said. "Hey Angel." What the fuck's up with that!?

"Mark, did I do somethin' wrong?", I asked. He ignores me again. "Come on. Talk to me baby boy." He finally looks over at me. "Why do you always have to make fun of me?" Okay, I'm confused again. "Am I not allowed to joke around with you anymore or somethin'? Seriously man. Tell me what's up."

"It bothers me."

"What bothers you?"

"When you tease me in front of . . ." He stops himself in mid-sentence. "In front of who? Roger?", I asked.

"No. In front of people I don't know or just met like . . . Angel."

"You got feelings for her or somethin'?", I joked.

"See? You just did it again!"

"What's the big deal? I did the same thing in front of Maureen."

"But she joined you so it's different. And I just don't want Angel to think I'm a nobody."

"Sweetie, I don't think you're a nobody."

"You don't?"

"Of course not. You're sweet, adorable, and you'll _always _be a somebody to me no matter what Collins or anyone else says. Okay?" Angel gives Mark a kiss on the cheek and he smiles. "Thanks."

Hey! That was _my _kiss! "You know, you should be nicer to him. You wouldn't wanna lose a good friend. Besides, I can't stand bullies. They make me sick.", Angel said to me. I look down at the ground. _There go my chances with her._ "Collins, what's wrong?", she asked. "You hate me now don't you?"

"You should.", Mark said to Angel jokingly. Angel giggles.

"Shut up you albino motherfucker.", I said.

Mark glares at me. "I told you before to stop calling me that! How would you like it if I called you a . . . a fag!?"

Angel gapes at him. I say nothing and walk ahead of her and Mark. He must've realized his mistake because before I could even think, he appeared beside me. I look over at him. "Get away from me.", I demanded. "Collins, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean it."

"Get away from me."

"Collins I . . ."

"GET. AWAY. FROM. ME."

I feel a small tear roll down my cheek. "You have no idea how much that word hurts and you never will. All you can do is use it. And I never thought I'd hear it come out of your mouth.", I whispered.

"Collins, just let me explain."

"I think you've said enough. Go save your protest.", Angel snapped at him before taking my hand. "Let's go someplace where we "fags" are wanted." We walk off, leaving a shocked Mark in the middle of the street.

**I can't believe I just did that! I'm mad at myself now! Ugh! Everything will be right again in the next chapter. Don't worry, be happy! (And review!) **


	7. No Day But Today

**I just ate some cake and now I'm ready to write! Okay, last chapter saddened me for what I did to Mark and Collins' friendship, but I'm gonna fix it! Not only because I want to, but also cause I DON'T FRIGGIN' WANNA GET ATTACKED WITH A GODFORSAKEN PILLOW! Not mentioning who threatened that (coughGingerGlindacough). Sooooooooooo, here's the chapter I like to call the everything-is-right-again-in-the-world-of-RENT chapter! Okay, that's not what it's called, but that's what**_** I**_** call it! Also, thanks to angelownsmysoul for telling me the little thing in Spanish that Angel says in the movie. Chapter 6 has been edited! YAY!**

**I own nothing. The Almighty Larson owns it all.**

Angel and I continue to walk. She looks back a few times, but I just keep staring straight ahead. After a while we stop and I lean against a wall. "Why would he say somethin' like that? I don't even get it. He could've just kindly reminded me not to call him that. I've been gone for seven months for God's sake!" Angel puts her hand on my shoulder. "I haven't known him for that long, but I can tell you guys are really close friends. You shouldn't let this get in the way of that.", she said. I feel another tear run down my face. This is stupid. Really, really stupid. Why the hell am I crying? THOMAS B. COLLINS DOES NOT CRY! And yet, I can't help it. _This is all Mark's fault!_

"You know, all of this isn't Mark's fault.", Angel said. I look over at her and wipe my eyes. _Did she just read my mind?_ "What?", I said. "Well, you did make him angry and things just sort of slip out when people are mad. Just be thankful he didn't call you something worse than that."

"And what, dare I ask, can be worse than one of my best friends callin' me a fag?"

"That same friend calling you a . . . you know."

"Say it."

"I don't want to."

"Why?"

"Cause I don't want you to . . . hit me or something."

"I can't believe you think I'd hit you. Just say it. I won't get mad."

"Well . . . he coulda called you a . . . the n-word."

My eyes widen. "I wish he would!", I said. "See? That's worse. You would've gotten mad at him for that too.", Angel said. "I wouldn't be mad. Although he'd probably wake up in the morning breathing through a tube in the hospital after I stabbed him 29 times.", I said rather calmly. Angel takes a step back. "Should I be afraid of you?", she asked. "No. I wouldn't do that. I'd be pissed though.", I replied, chuckling.

Angel comes closer to me and we start walking again. "I think you should apologize.", she said. Back the hell up! "Apologize for what?", I asked in shock. "For calling him an 'albino motherfucker'." Oh that's right. She doesn't know. "Angel, he's fine with me calling him 'albino'. I've always called him that. It's just the 'motherfucker' part that bothers him. He says it sounds dirty and makes him sound desperate.", I explain. "Desperate?", Angel repeats. I nod. She thinks about it for a moment. Then something clicks.

"Oh, I get it. Desperate . . . oh my God . . . ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww! Wait . . . didn't he have a girlfriend?"

"Not at the time. He was single and Roger was dating April."

"April's the girl who killed herself right?" I nod.

"Were you dating anyone?"

"Yeah. I was on boyfriend number 10."

Angel giggles. "In your relationship with boyfriend number 10, who broke up with who?", she asked. "I broke up with him.", I replied.

"Why?"

"Well . . . it's kinda embarrassing."

"You can tell me. I won't laugh."

"Well . . . he was . . . small."

"Without these heels on I'm small. What do you have against small people?"

"No. The small you're talkin' 'bout and the small I'm talkin' bout are two totally different smalls."

"Huh?"

I chuckle. "I'm not saying he was small, I'm saying he was _small_."

"_Small_?"

"Disappointingly _small_." I use my fingers to signify, yet dramatize, what type of small I was talkin' about. Angel's eyes widen. "You broke up with him because of the size of his . . . ?"

"Yes. And I'm not proud of it." Angel shakes her head. "You shouldn't be. What was his name?" I blush. "I'm not tellin'.", I said. "Why not?", Angel asked. "Cause it's ironic."

"How ironic?"

"_Too _ironic."

"It can't be _that _ironic. Unless the guy's name was . . . I don't know . . . Dick or something." I blush again and Angel's eyes go wider. "Was that his name?", she asked. I wait a few moments then I nod slightly. "Oh. My. God. HIS NAME WAS DICK!?" I look over at her. "I believe we've established that.", I said. By now, she'd stopped and was clutching her sides while having an uncontrollable laughing fit. "I'm glad it's so amusing to you.", I said.

"It's . . . hilarious! Oh my God . . . it's fucking hilarious! How the hell . . . do you . . . manage to . . . find someone . . . with . . . with . . ."

"With a name like Dick?", I finished for her. This only makes her laugh even more.

"¡SÍ¡Mierda santa¡Esto es demasiado gracioso¡Juro que voy a recordar esto para el resto de mi vida¡Tan le embromo para siempre ahora!"

"Angel! I don't understand a word you're sayin'! Don't you speak English anymore? Do you understand me¿Hablas ingles?" She somewhat stops laughing and looks over at me. "You speak Spanish?", she asked, giggling slightly. "That's the only thing I can say besides yes, no, please, and thank you." Angel stops giggling. "You done laughin' at me now?" She nods. "So, what are we gonna do?", she asked. "Well, we probably have like an hour and some odd minutes left. I'm sure we can find somethin' to do.", I replied.

As we pass a pet store, I glance in the window and see a cage full of little, white mice with a sign on it that reads: Lab Mice. This can only mean one thing. THESE LITTLE MICE ARE GONNA DIE! THAT AIN'T RIGHT! I walk over to the window and stare at the mice. _Aw, look at 'em. Mindin' their own business. Not even aware that they won't live for much longer._ They crawl around the cage lookin' like they have no idea that they'll eventually run out of places to crawl. I suddenly feel Angel's hand on my shoulder. "Collins, why are you staring at those mice?", she asked. "They're gonna die.", I said flatly. "How do you know?", Angel asked.

"Cause the only people who actually buy them are people who have snakes."

"So?"

"So, by the end of the day, they're gonna be snake food. They deserve to live too."

"Sweetie, there's nothing you can do about it."

I smirk. "Wanna bet?" I scan the pet store from the window and notice a birdcage with three birds in it. "Excellent.", I said, rubbin' my hands together like some kind of evil genius. "Collins, I don't like that look.", Angel said. I pretend I didn't hear her, walk into the store, and, while the clerk isn't lookin', open the birdcage. The three birds start flyin' around everywhere and the clerk immediately starts tryin to lure them back in the cage. While he's busy doin' that, I walk over to the cage with the mice in it, pick the entire thing up, and start walkin toward the door.

Angel starts sayin' things I can't hear and pointin' behind me. "HEY! WHAT DO THINK YOU'RE DOIN'!?" I turn around quickly and see the clerk's forgotten all about the birds and is comin' toward me. _SHIT! _I put the cage down, open the door of the store wide, then open the cage door. I watch all the mice run for their little lives. "RUN MY PRETTIES! RUN LIKE YOU'VE NEVER RAN BEFORE!" I then jump over the cage, grab Angel's hand and we run along side the mice.

"You've committed a crime for the second time today!", Angel said after we were a good eight blocks away from the store. "That wasn't a crime! I saved lives! Therefore, you should be proud of me.", I said with a smile.

"You're really something special. You know that?"

"I know. So now what do we do?"

Angel looks back and apparently sees somethin' that worries her. "You mean besides run from the cops?", she asked nervously. I look over at her. "Girl, what are you talkin' about?" She turns me around and I see a police car. "Is this the part where we run?", I asked. "But, I'm tired of running.", Angel replied. "Then we won't run."

"But if we don't, we'll go to jail."

"Well, what _should _we do?"

The police car rides up beside us and an officer gets out. "Hey you.", he said. We keep walkin'. "I said: Hey you!", the officer repeated. Angel stops walkin' and turns around. "Yes sir?", she said. "No not you. The you without a coat! Freeze!" I turn around and start walkin' backwards.

"I'm already frozen!"

"You know what I mean! Stop walking!"

I do as I'm told. "What'd I do?"

"Are you the man who let those mice out of their cage at that pet store?"

"If you're talkin' about the store I think you're talkin' about, then that's a dumb question. We're like nine blocks away from that place."

"Well, _are _you?"

"If I was, do you think I'd confess?"

"Is that a yes?"

"I don't know. Is it?"

"Are you gettin' smart with me?"

"I ain't gettin' smart. I'm already smart."

"Alright, what's your name?"

"I don't see why I gotta tell you my name. You should already know it since you're accusin' me of a crime. Shouldn't you?"

Angel and I start walkin' again and the officer grabs my arm. I get an idea. "OH MY GOD! WHAT ARE YOU DOIN'!?", I yelled. The officer jumps a little, but maintains his hold on my arm. "I'm . . . uh . . . ", he stops and tries to find the right words so I continue flippin' out. "GET YOUR DAMN HANDS OFF ME! ANGEL, GET HIM OFF ME!" Angel, apparently aware of what I'm doin', joins in my little charade. She squints at the officer's badge.

"Um . . . Officer Martin? You've gotta let go. I think you're hurting him."

Officer Martin's mouth drops open. "What am I doing that could possibly be hurting him!?"

"It looks like nothing to you and me, but in his mind, you're _really _hurting him. He's a little loco.", Angel whispered.

"GET HIM OFF ME! ANGEL, DON'T LET HIM KILL ME! PLEASE!"

"Will you calm down!?"

"I DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU! LET ME GO!"

I tear my arm away from him hide behind his car. "HE'S GONNA KILL ME!", I yelled. "Now you've done it. It's gonna take me forever to get him home now.", I heard Angel say. "He lives with you?", Officer Martin asked. "Yeah. He's my . . . boyfriend!" My heart drops. Did she just call me her boyfriend? "He's your boyfriend?"

"Yup. Honey, it's time to go home and take your vitamin!" I come from behind the car and stand next to Angel. "Kay!", I said in a higher pitched voice than normal. She takes my hand and leads me away from Officer Martin. Just to keep up the act, I start singing off-key. "THE SUN'LL COME OUT, TOMORROW! BET YOUR BOTTOM DOLLAR THAT TOMORROW, THEY'LL BE SUN!" Once we're around the corner, I stop singing.

"I didn't know you sang.", Angel said, giggling.

"Ha, ha, ha. You're funny. By the way, thanks for helpin' me out back there."

"No problem."

There's a silence. "You know, you didn't have to call me your boyfriend.", I said. Angel stumbles. "What?", she said. "With that cop. You told him I was your boyfriend." Angel looks away from me and I watch her cheeks turn red. "Are you blushing?", I asked. She turns an even brighter shade of red. "No." I chuckle. "Yes you are."

"No, I'm not!"

"Okay, okay. You're not blushing."

"Thank you!"

"But you _are_ still holdin' my hand."

Angel looks down at our conjoined hands, at me, and then at a building next to us. "Uh . . . we're here!", she said. She leads me into the building. Once inside, we sit down. Angel takes her Santa jacket off and hangs it on the back of her chair. It's quiet. Too quiet. _Way _too quiet. Nobody's talkin'. They're just lookin' around at everyone else. Until another person comes in and sits in an unoccupied chair. I'm assumin' he's the leader of this thing. "First, I just want to welcome you all.", he said. He looks around briefly. "Why don't we start by going around and introducing ourselves?" The introductions start and around the entire circle of people.

"Steve."

"Gordon."

"Ali."

"Pam."

"Sue."

"Hi." Angel takes off her wig. "I'm Angel." She looks at me.

"Tom . . . Collins.", I said.

"I'm Paul.", the leader said. There's a loud noise and everyone turns around at the same time. Mark. Damn! I was hopin' he forgot! "Sorry . . . excuse me.", he said. _Yeah. You're excused. Now take your ass back out that door!_ "And you are . . . ?", Paul starts. "Oh, I'm not . . . I don't have . . . I'm here with . . ." Mark looks over at me and I pretend I don't know him. Then he looks at Angel and she pinky-waves at him. "I'm just here to . . ." He's makin' himself look really stupid. "Mark.", he said finally. "Mark. I'm Mark." _They got it the first time._

"Well, this quite an operation. Does anyone have a problem if I film a little of this for a documentary?" I look around the circle. Somebody say somethin'! Anything! I don't want him here! "Make yourself comfortable Mark.", Paul said. Damn you Paul! Damn you to hell! "Who wants to begin?", Paul asked after a few moments. "Well, I'm . . ." Gordon looks at Mark's camera for a moment. "Yesterday . . . I found out my T cells were low.", he said. Poor guy. "What was your reaction?", Paul asked. "Scared.", Gordon replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Angel told me how most of these meetings go. Everyone talks about what they've been feelin' since they found out they had AIDS, how they felt when they found out they got it, or somethin' along the lines of that. Then there's this thing everybody says early in the meeting that Angel taught me. It ends with "no day but today," which, in my opinion, is a good philosophy. Let's just hope I can live by it. "How are you feeling today? Right now?", Paul asked Gordon. "Okay. Alright. Pretty good.", Gordon replied. "Is that all?" I can tell Paul likes to make people talk.

"It's the best I've felt in a long time. Months."

"Then why chose fear?"

"I'm a New Yorker. Fear's my life."

We all have a small laugh then Gordon gets this serious look on his face. "Look, I find some of what you teach suspect . . . because I'm use to relying on intellect, but I try to open up to what I don't know. Because reason says I should've died three years ago." We all stand up and join hands. "There's only us, there's only this. Forget, regret or life is yours to miss. No other road, no other way. No day but today.", we said together. There it is. The four words that make me realize that I can't spend the remaining time I have to live mad at one of my friends. I gotta take Angel's advice and apologize.

Not tomorrow, not next week, but today. No day but today.

After the meeting, Angel goes to talk to Paul about somethin'. I see Mark havin' trouble gettin' his camera back in his bag and use this as an advantage. I walk over to him. "Hey.", I said. Mark quickly turns around. "If you're gonna beat me up, can it wait until we're outside?", he asked.

"No. I mean, I ain't goin' beat you up. I was just wonderin' if you needed some help."

"Uh . . . yeah." I help him put his camera back in its back. "Thanks.", he said.

"No problem." There's a silence. "Look man, I . . ."

"I'm sorry." He beat me to it. "I shouldn't have called you a fag. I'm really sorry."

"Um . . . I was gonna say the same thing. About bein' sorry not the "fag" part of it." There's another silence. "Did you apologize cause you wanted to or cause you know I can break you in half?", I asked, smiling. Mark smiles too. "A little of both.", he said, giggling. Things are goin' back to normal. "You and Angel wanna go grab something to eat? It'd technically be considered a date with her." That caught me off guard. "What?"

"Come on Collins. Anyone can tell you like her."

"I don't like her. I . . . can you keep a secret?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. I think I might've . . . fallen in love with her."

Mark's eyes widen. "You've only known her for a day. How'd you fall in love with her already?"

"I don't know man, but I did and I don't know how to tell her."

"Well, whatever you do, just be careful. You remember what happened with Josh don't you?"

I sigh. "Don't remind me. Why'd you bring that up anyway?"

"I just don't want you to get your heart broken again. It was hard seeing you like that. Promise me you'll be careful."

"I promise."

We hug for a moment. "Man, you're like the brother I never wanted. My brotha from anotha motha.", I said, smiling. "Uh . . . thanks?" I chuckle at the look on Mark's face as Angel comes over to us. "Is everything back to normal?", she asked. I wrap my arm around Mark and pull him close. "Hell yes!", I said. "Uh . . . we were thinking about getting something to eat. Wanna come with us?", Mark asked Angel. She looks at me and smiles. "Sure." The three of us turn around and we see Officer Martin talkin' to Paul. "Uh . . . let's sneak out the back.", I suggested. "Good plan!", Angel said. "Why don't we just . . ." Angel and I grab Mark before he can finish his sentence. "What's going on you guys?", Mark asked as we dragged him out the back of the building. Angel and I looked at each other then said at the same time, "Don't ask."

**Chapter 7 is all done! I told you I'd fix everything! And I would've updated sooner, but my computater-tot was running slow. Sorry if you find any mistakes of any kind. Please review! For me?**

**Translations:**

**¡SÍ¡Mierda santa¡Esto es demasiado gracioso¡Juro que voy a recordar esto para el resto de mi vida¡Tan le embromo para siempre ahora!: YES! Holy shit! That's too funny! I'm gonna remember that for the rest of my life! I'm so teasing you forever now!**

**¿Hablas ingles?: Do you speak English?**


	8. There Is A Future

**Mark and Collins are friends again! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! I just needed to say that. Okay, time to write! Oh, before I forget, I'm makin' Angel cry in this chappy. Don't hit me! It goes well with what I'm doin'! Jeez!**

**I own nothing. The Almighty Larson owns it all. (If I did own it though, Jesse L. Martin would be forcefully** **married to me, there'd be some "contact" goin' on, and we'd have ((when I say "we'd have" I mean he'd make and I'd deliver)) lots of little Jesses. But I don't so my dreams are crushed.)**

"You guys let mice out of their cage!?", Mark asked. "It wasn't me! It was Collins!", Angel said. "You would've done the same thing if you were me. Besides, I believe everything should have a chance at life.", I said in my defense. "So you let vermin out of a cage they were _supposed_ to be in!?", Mark asked. "They ain't vermin. They're living, breathing creatures.", I said.

"So because of you there are a bunch of mice running around the streets of New York!?" Mark seems a little nervous to me. Am I the only one who's thinkin' about askin' . . .

"Mark, sweetie, are you afraid of mice?", Angel asked. Okay so I'm not the only one.

"N-no. I just don't really like them."

Little liar. "You sure man? Cause you seem really . . ."

"IF I SAID I'M NOT THAT MEANS I'M NOT! NOW STOP PESTERING ME DAMN-IT!"

My eyes widen. "Jesus Christ! Couldn't you have just said no or somethin'?", I asked. Mark looks away for a moment. "Sorry. I just get really annoyed when people try to force me to answer a question or someth . . . AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Angel and I stop dead in our tracks and Mark hides behind me. "What the hell is wrong wit you boy?", I asked. "M-M-M-MOUSE!" Sure enough, there's a mouse crawlin' right toward us. "So you _are _afraid of mice.", I said. "Yeah! I admit it! Now get rid of it!" I pick the mouse up and look it straight in the eyes.

"You see what you did? You scared Mark! How could you? I thought we were cool! I saved your damn life! You _and _your family! You ain't my friend no more!" I feel really stupid yellin' at a mouse, but the little fucker deserves it! Scaring Mark like that! I put the mouse back on the ground and it scurries away. "That's right fool! Go on!" I turn around and put my arm around Mark. "It's okay now. The mouse is all gone. It'll never bother you again." Mark smiles and chuckles.

"Thanks for protecting me from the mouse Collins."

"I'll always protect you man."

"You will?"

I smile. "Of course I will. I love you my lil' albino pumpkin-head."

I look at Mark expectantly and he groans. "Do I have to?", he asked. My smile widens. "I'd be insulted if you didn't." Mark groans again. "Collins . . ."

"You gotta say it or I'll find another mouse. And don't forget to smile."

"Fine!" He forces himself to smile. "I love you my big, black teddy bear." Angel's eyes widen. "Aw! Thanks!", I said. "'Big, black teddy bear?'", Angel asked. "Yup! He cuddles with me when he goes to bed every night.", I said.

"I do not!", Mark said, pushing my arm off of him. "It was one night!"

"But you enjoyed it.", I said.

"No I didn't!"

"I specifically remember you saying to me, and I quote, "Never leave me for as long as I live. I love you my big, black teddy bear." Then you fell asleep with your arms around me. If that ain't enjoyin' it, I don't know what is."

"But you didn't object!"

"Uh, hello! I'm gay!"

"Oh yeah. Well . . . you know as well as I know that you and Roger got me drunk the night I said that! And you were high!"

"I'm _always _high my brotha. That reminds me." I take a blunt out of my pocket, put it in my mouth, and light it. "Ah! Nothin' like being high at noon!", I said. Mark comes over to me and puts his hands in my pockets. "Yo! Back up!", I said. "Hold still!", Mark replied. "Fine. I'll hold still, but in the future, ya might not wanna rape me in broad daylight let alone the middle of the street." Mark pulls his hands, which now have one of blunts in each of them, out of my pockets and steps back. "What the hell Collins!? Are you _made _of weed!?", he asked. "I'm _made _of organs, areteries, skin, bones, and genitals Mark, not weed. Now gimmie back my shit!" I take my blunts from him, put them back in my pockets, and we start walkin' again.

"I'm hungry.", I said after a while. "Mark, are we close to whatever diner you were talkin' about or do I have to eat you?" Angel giggles. "Collins, that would considered cannibalism and it's frowned on in many societies.", she said. "That's just another reason to do it. Angel, would you like to help me dine on his delicious flesh?" Angel does a small curtsy and loops her arm through mine. "I'd be delighted." Mark walks a few feet away from me and Angel. "Nobody's eating me! Especially you, Collins. I'm technically meat and you're a vegetarian. It wouldn't work."

"You're a vegetarian?", Angel asked, un-looping our arms.

"Yeah, but I did eat meat when I was little."

"What made you stop?"

"I've been wondering that too.", Mark added.

"My dad worked at a slaughterhouse and let's just say they had bring-your-kid-to-work day."

"Why would they have one of those at a slaughterhouse?", Angel asked. I shurg in response just as a random black guy walks up behind Angel and wraps his arms around her, causing her to squeal. _Very _loudly. "Hey there pretty lady.", the guy said, kissin' Angel's cheek. Her eyes grow wide with what I see as fear. "W-W-Who are you?", she stammered. _Somebody that needs to get the hell offa you before I make him in the most unpleasant way I can think of!_

"Don't worry about who Iam Angel."

"You know me?"

"You _wanna _know me?"

I pull the guy off Angel. "There shall be _**no**_ knowing here. Now, who the fuck are you!?" The guy gives me an "I-was-wonderin'-the-same-thing-about-you" look before sayin', "That shouldn't matter to you." I give him the death glare. "Look here. Since I can already tell by the look of you that you're one of those assholes that needs the shit beat out of him so his common sense can escape the tiny part of his brain that doesn't function quite properly, or "dumb-ass" if you will, I'm only gonna say two words that I _know _you'll understand."

I pick the guy up by his underarms and make him look me in the eyes. "FUCK OFF!" I throw the guy about 50 feet away from the three of us. "Holy shit Collins! That was awesome!", Mark exclaimed. Did I really just do that? Let's back up and find out . . .

_I pull the guy off Angel. "There shall be **no** knowing here. Now, who the fuck are you!?" The guy gives me an "I-was-wonderin'-the-same-thing-about-you" look before sayin', "That shouldn't matter to you." I give him the death glare. "Look here. Since I can already tell by the look of you that you're one of those assholes that needs the shit beat out of him so his common sense can escape the tiny part of his brain that doesn't function quite properly, or "dumb-ass" if you will, I'm only gonna say two words that I know you'll understand." __I pick the guy up by his underarms and make him look me in the eyes. "FUCK OFF!" I throw the guy about 50 feet away from the three of us._

Yeah. I really just did that. I guess it was like blind fury. I hope I hurt his ass too! Literally! "Angel, you okay?", I asked. She nods. "You sure?" She shakes her head. "Well, which is it?", Mark asked. Angel remains silent and we start walkin'. We hear the guy groanin'. "HOW DID YOU DO THAT!?", Angel half asked half yelled. Mark and I jump. "Well, it sorta just happened cause I didn't want him to hurt you. I care a lot about you Angel.", I said. "You care a lot about me?", Angel asked in shock. "Collins, we just met last night, you've only known me for a day, and . . ." Shit! I said too much. _PLEASE_ don't get creeped out and run away! " . . . I care a lot about you too." Oh thank God! Wait. She cares about me! That's one step up from just knowin' me! 2 POINTS!

"You do?"

"Well . . . yeah."

We smile at each other, oblivious to the fact that we've walked three blocks already. "Guys? Hello-o? EARTH TO ANGEL AND COLLINS!", I hear Mark yell ever so slightly. "Huh?", Angel and I both said at the same time. "We're here." I've been to this place before. I personally like the Life Cafe better, but this'll do for now. I just hope they have somethin' a vegetarian would like. Oh who cares! I'm sittin' right next to _Angel! _I really don't care what I eat right now!

* * *

Darkness falls and we decide to head home. "I could walk you home if you want me to.", I said to Angel. "That's okay. I'd rather walk _you_ home. I wouldn't want you to get mugged again.", she replied with a smile. Her smile fades as we walk around the corner and see a girl with long brown hair. "What's she doing out here without a coat?", Angel asked herself. Or so she thought. "You know her?", I asked. "Yeah. That's Mimi." Mimi. Why does that name seem so familiar? Mimi . . . Mimi . . . oh yeah! The message on the window! Aw shit! Rog is out on the fire escape givin' her "The Davis" look. This only spells trouble. 

"There's only yes, only tonight. We must let go to know what's right. No other course, no other way. No day but today.", Mimi said to Roger. Mark, Angel, and I decide to help her out in gettin' through to him. Hopfully we can.

"I can't control-", we all speak together.

"Control your temper.", Roger said to himself though we can still hear him.

" -my destiny.", we continue.

"She doesn't see."

"I trust my soul-"

"Who says that there's a soul?"

" -my only goal is just to be."

"Just let me be. Who do you think you are-"

"There's only now, there's only here-"

"-barging in on me and my guitar?"

"-give in to love, or live in fear."

"-Little girl, hey-"

"-no other course-"

"-the door is that way!"

"-no other way . . ."

"No day but today.", Mimi said by herslef.

"The fire's out anyway!", Roger yelled.

"No day but today.", we joined her.

"Take your powder! Take your candle!"

"No day but today."

"Take your brown eyes, your pretty smile, your silhouette!"

"No day but today."

"Another time, another place, another rhyme, a warm embrace!"

"No day but today." Why doesn't this boy get it?

"Another dance, another way, another chance, another day!"

"No day but today.", we said for the final time. Roger just walks back inside and Mimi starts cryin'. Angel gives her a hug for comfort. "Silencio ahora. Será bien. Esté el bebé fuerte. Esté fuerte. ¿Ningún día pero hoy, recuerde?, she whispered to Mimi. "Mimi, it ain't your fault. He's been drivin' every girl he meets away cause of what happened with April. It's got nothin' to do with you, kay?", I said. I'm just tryin' to help. I hate seeing people cry. "Who are you?", Mimi asked me. "Mimi, this is Collins and that's Mark. They live with Roger.", Angel explains. "Could one of you try talking to him for me?", Mimi asked. "I'll talk to him alright!", Mark yelled. "He can't keep shutting the world out because of one girl!"

"Yo man. Calm that shit down. The last thing anybody needs is for you and Rog to . . . Mark!" Mark starts walkin' into the building, completely ignorin' me. "Damn. They 'bout to get into to it. I don't care what they do. I ain't playin' referee for this shit.", I said to myself. "Mimi, you wanna stay with me tonight?", Angel asked. Mimi nods and they start walkin' off. "See you tomorrow Collins!", Angel called. "You too!" I walk into the building and my ears are immediately assualted.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" I ain't never heard Mark so mad before.

"JUST STAY OUT OF IT!" Now Roger, I'm used to. I walk into the loft and the yellin' continues.

"SHE'S JUST TRYING TO HELP YOU!"

"MAYBE I DON'T _NEED _HELP!"

"YES YOU DO! YOU NEED MORE HELP THAN ANYONE CAN OFFER YOU LET ALONE GIVE!"

I walk in my room, lay down on my bed, not even botherin' to change into pj's, and close my eyes for a few minutes. It's quiet for about 10 mintes and I'm about to fall asleep before they start screamin' at each other again.

"YOU'RE PATHETIC! REALLY PATHETIC!"

I'm tired, so if they don't shut up in the next three seconds, I'm comin' out my room swingin'!

"AND THIS IS COMING FROM THE GUY WHO LOST HIS GIRLFRIEND TO ANOTHER WOMAN!"

"LEAVE MAUREEN OUT OF THIS! NONE OF OUR FRIENDS HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS!"

"NIETHER DO YOU!"

"COLLINS FEELS THE SAME WAY I DO!"

"WELL AT LEAST COLLINS KNOWS HIS PLACE!"

That's it! I've had it! "WILL YA'LL BOTH JUST SHUT YA'LL WHITE ASSES UP! THERE'S PEOPLE TRYIN' TO SLEEP DAMN-IT!", I yelled.

"STAY OUT OF THIS!", they both yelled back at me.

Fuck this! I get out of bed, pack a small bag and leave my room. By now, Roger's out on the fire escape. "Hey, where ya goin'?", Mark asked. "I refuse to stay here tonight. I'll see you tomorrow.", I said. I leave the loft and start walkin' in the cold, once again. Maybe Angel will let me in.

Once I reach Angel's door, I hesitate to knock. What if she doesn't let me in? What if she and Mimi wanna be alone and I'm interrupting? A bunch of "what if's" go through my head as I knock on the door. The door opens and there stands a sleepy lookin' Angel, out of drag. "Collins?", she said. "Sorry if I woke you up. Um . . . I was in the neighborhood . . ." Before I can say anything more, Angel takes my hand and pulls me inside. "There's no need to explain. I told you before, my door's always open.", she said, shuttin' the door. I see Mimi on the couch, knocked out. "Come on.", Angel said, pullin' me down the hallway and into her bedroom. "You can sleep in my bed. It's big enough for two." I gulp. For two? Meaning I'm gonna sleep in the same bed as her? This oughta be intersting.

When we reach the bedroom, I put my bag down, take my shoes off, and we both climb into the bed and lie down. A few moments later, Angel shivers. "What's wrong?", I asked. "I'm just a little cold." I wrap my arms around her and pull her close. "That better?", I asked. I suddenly hear small sobs. I turn Angel around to face me and see that she's cryin'. What'd I do now? "Angel? What's the matter?", I asked, taking my arms from around her. "It's just . . . the last person to have their arms around me like that . . . broke my heart." She starts to cry even more. I wipe some of the tears away. "Angel, you can't live in the past. I'm not sayin' it doesn't hurt to get your heart broken. Trust me, I've been there. It's unfortunately part of the game of love. But you can't let your past control your future. No day but today, right?", I said, wiping more tears away.

Angel smiles slightly. "No day but today.", she said. "There you go.", I said. I wipe more tears away and kiss Angel's forehead. "What was that for?", she asked. I smile. "Don't you know kisses make everything better?", I replied. Angel smiles and turns back around. "Uh . . . I'm still cold.", she said. "Say no more." I wrap my arms around her again and pull her close. "Goodnight Angel.", I whispered.

**That is chapter 8! I'd like you to know that it's 12:30 on a school night and I finished this chapter just for you! So show your appretiation and review please! Since I'm really tired, there might be some mistakes. Oh well! I'll fix 'em later. Points to anyone who can find the Pirates of the Carribean thing I used!**

**Translation:**

**"Silencio ahora. Será bien. Esté el bebé fuerte. Esté fuerte. ¿Ningún día pero hoy, recuerde?: "Hush now. It'll be okay. Be strong baby. Be strong. No day but today, remember?"**


	9. Love Is Lost, Love Is Gained

**Thanks yous alls fors mys reviews! I's reallys appreciates thoses. It's really annoying writing like that so I'm gonna stop now. The points that I was givin' away for finding the lines go to BroadwayMasquerade! WHOO! Yeah. I promised I'd announce that and I always keep my promises.**

**I own nothing. The Almighty Larson owns it all.**

I wake up with Angel still in my arms and just watch her sleep. I listen to her breathe and feel her chest move up and down as she does. Even in her sleep she's an angel. It makes no damn sense at all for somebody to be so beautiful . . . to me anyway. At least not now. Not after Josh. I sigh and start thinkin' about him before I hear Angel moan slightly. _That's a little strange. _

"Collins . . . I love you." Did I hear her correctly? Did she just say she loves me? She turns in my arms and I see her eyes are still closed. So she's dreamin' about me. Well, that's somethin' we have in common. Soon her eyes start opening slowly and I look into them. "Mornin'.", I said. Angel smiles and yawns a little. "Did ya sleep well?", I asked, tryin' not to bring up the fact that she moaned my name in her sleep.

"Yeah. You kept me warm the entire night."

I can't help but smile. "Glad to be of service."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Uh . . . what was his name?"

"Who?"

"The guy that you said broke your heart. You know my ex's name is Billy and that he broke my heart when he cheated on me. I was just wondering if you trusted me enough to tell me who broke your heart."

I take my arms from around her, roll onto my back, and look up at the ceiling. I don't wanna talk about him. I wanna move on. "Collins?" I remain silent. I'm tryin' _really _hard not to say anything, yet I feel myself blurt out, "His name was Josh and he was the first person I ever fell in love with."

"Do you remember how he broke your heart? Or did you choose to forget about it?" Angel is too curious of a person to ignore.

I sigh. "I'll never forget it."

_Flashback__ (Normal POV)_

_Two hours. That's how long he said he'd be gone. Just two little hours. It wouldn't have seemed that long to Collins if two hours wasn't up eight hours ago. Collins paced back and forth awaiting the return of his lover. "Where the hell is he?", he wondered out loud. _

_The door opened suddenly and Collins let out a relieved sigh. "Thank God! I was gettin' worried!", he said, giving his lover a kiss hello. "Where were you?" _

"_Don't worry about it."_

"_But Josh . . ."_

"_I said, don't worry about it." Josh sat on the couch and rubbed his temples. "Why am I even talkin' to him?", he said to himself, unaware that he was talking loud enough for Collins to still hear him. "What do you mean by that?", Collins asked. He joined Josh on the couch._

"_Did I not just say twice already, don't worry about it?"_

"_I just wanna know if you're okay."_

"_I don't need this right now." Josh stood up and walked toward the door. "Where ya goin'?", Collins asked._

"_Out.", was Josh's simple reply._

"_Out? But you just got . . ."_

"_DAMN-IT COLLINS! GET OFF MY BACK!" With that said, Josh left, slamming the door as he did._

_The very next day, Collins went to the Life Café with Mark, Roger, and Maureen. "And he didn't tell you where he was?", Mark asked. "No. He just left again.", Collins replied._

"_Did you guys sort it out when he came back home?", Roger asked._

_Collins shook his head. "Was he that mad?", Mark asked._

"_I wouldn't know. He never came back home."_

"_He's cheating!", Maureen declared._

"_No he's not!", Collins argued._

"_Yes he is!"_

"_How do you know?"_

"_Cause he's right over there."_

_Collins quickly turned around and saw Josh kissing a guy. A guy that certainly not him. He got up from the table and walked over to Josh and the unknown person. "So, this is what you were doin' last night!?", he yelled, causing Josh and his . . . whoever he was to him to stop their make-out session. "Shit!", Josh said, turning to the other guy. "Brian, he wasn't supposed to find out this way, I swear."_

"_I'm waitin' for my answer! And who is he!?"_

"_You're attracting people. Calm down!"_

"_So what if I'm attracting people! I want some answers and I'll attract the whole damn state of New York if I have to!"_

"_What the fuck is your problem!?"_

"_You! You're my problem! How long has this been goin' on!?"_

"_Let's get outta here.", Josh said to Brian. "Walkin' out on me again, huh!?", Collins called after Josh as he and Brian headed for the door. "Don't walk away from me! Come back here! Come back . . . please? Josh wait!" Collins ran over to Josh and grabbed his hand. "What?", Josh said._

"_I . . . I love you." Collins tightened his grip on Josh's hand. "Please, just say it. Just once. Tell me you love me just this one time.", Collins begged. Josh looked down at their conjoined hands and sighed. "I can't Collins. I'd be lying." _

_Collins was on the verge of tears."W-What?" _

"_I don't love you. I never have. As a matter of fact, I basically hate you." _

"_You . . . you hate me?"_

"_YOU LOUSY SON-OF-A-BITCH!", Maureen yelled. "HOW COULD YOU SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO HIM! HE NEVER DID ANYTHING TO HURT YOU AND YOU TURN AROUND AND DO THIS TO HIM! I SWEAR I SHOULD BITCH-SLAP YOU ALL THE WAY TO CALIFORNIA! I HOPE YOU FUCKING DIE!"_

"_You'll get your wish Maureen. I am gonna die. And now, so is Collins."_

"_What are you talking about?", Mark said, getting scared._

"_Four words. Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome."_

"_You . . . have AIDS?" Collins' voice sounded as though he was going to cry at any time. "How long have you known?"_

"_About six months."_

"_And you never told me?"_

"_Why would I do that? I hate you."_

_Collins opened his mouth to say something, but shut it, fell to his knees and began to cry. As Josh and Brian left, Maureen tried to comfort her friend. "Don't worry. He'll figure out what he's missin' and come crawlin' back soon.", she said. Collins shook his head. "No he won't. He hates me." He then let his head fall onto Maureen's shoulder and cried again._

"I'm so sorry Collins." Angel has the look of sympathy in her eyes. "It's okay. Things happen for a reason." I turn back onto my side and stare into Angel's eyes again. "Both of our boyfriends cheated on us.", she stated.

"Seems that way."

"God! We have horrible taste in men!" We share a laugh. "Not all the time.", I said.

"Huh?"

Here goes. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna ask her. "Angel . . . uh . . . tonight's Maureen's show."

"I know. I'm going."

"Good. Um . . . afterwards . . . a bunch of people are gettin' together at the Life Café . . . and . . . I was wonderin' if you'd like to . . . be my . . . uh . . . my . . ." Why can't I do this!? It shouldn't be this hard! Dear Lord in heaven, send an angel to help me!

"Your date?", Angel guesses. Thank you God! I promise I'll try and pray more often.

"Yeah. Look, I know I'm not really good at this, but you can't blame me for tryin'. So, you can feel free to say no and knee me in the balls or somethin'. Or maybe even kick me out of your apartment."

"Sure."

"I was expectin' that answer so I've prepared myself for reject . . . I'm sorry what?"

"I said, sure. I'd love to be your date."

My eyes widen. "For real?" Angel giggles and nods. "Of course. To tell you the truth, I've been hoping you'd ask me out for the longest time."

"And now I have. So, I guess we're goin' on a date."

"That we are." Angel gives me a small peck . . . ON THE LIPS! OH MY GOD! SHE KISSED ME ON THE LIPS! WHICH IS SOMEWHERE OTHER THAN MY CHEEKS! I KNOW IT WAS SMALL, BUT I'M SO DAMN HAPPY! Now I have this really goofy grin on my face. "Collins, would you like some breakfast?", Angel asked, giggling at the expression on my face. I nod as she takes my hand and leads me out of the room and down the hall. I still have that goofy grin plastered on my face, but who can blame me? My lips have been graced by those of an angel's.

**Finny! Short, I know, but it's a filler-iner. My computater-tot is runnin' at a normal speed today. Why I decided to write this so late is beyond me. Oh well! Mistakes I apologize for. Now please review! I love reviews! There almost as good as chocolate or Jesse L. Martin in bed! Whoa . . . never mind. Let's not get carried away! ;)**


	10. I Admit It, I Love You

**I just found out that Jesse's leaving Law & Order. All I have to say about that is: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! HE CAN'T LEAVE!!! IT WON'T BE THE SAME WITHOUT HIM!!! THEY BETTER **_**NOT**_** KILL HIM OFF!!! I MEAN, THEY ALREADY PUT HIM IN THE DAMN HOSPITAL BEFORE!!! I SWEAR I'M GONNA GATHER A BUNCH OF L & O FANS AND START A RIOT!!! THIS IS SO NOT RIGHT!!! Okay, I'm done yellin' now, but I'm still mad! Thank you for all your reviews. And trust me, I hate Josh just as much as you all do and I'm the one who created him! Just a heads up, he's gonna come back in the story. You don't know when, how, or why, but he'll be back. DUN, DUN, DUN! **

**I own nothing. The Almighty Larson owns it all.**

As we enter the livingroom, I still have a stupid grin on my face. It's like one of those grins on ventriloquist dummies that never goes away and, when you stare at it long enough, you feel like its eyes are burnin' a hole right through your head. Not very attractive, but I can't help it. My enormous grin turns into a small smile once we're in the livingroom.

"Morning chica!", Angel said to half-asleep, half-sittin' up Mimi, who was rubbin' her eyes. "Morni . . . WHOA!" She's wide awake now, although that was the strangest reply I've ever heard. Then again, I know absolutely nothin' about this girl. "What's wrong Mimi?", Angel asked. Mimi points at me. "WHEN DID HE GET HERE!?"

"I'm sorry. Am I not allowed to be here?", I asked.

"Of course you're allowed to be here.", Angel said.

"Anybody gonna answer my question?"

"Chica, he got here last night."

"How come I didn't know that?"

"You were asleep."

"Oh. Since we're on that subject, where'd he sleep?"

Angel looks at me and turns scarlet. "Uh . . . he slept . . . inmybed.", she said. Mimi twists her face in some odd way. "Huh?"

"Hesleptinmybedwithme."

"What!?"

Angel sighs. "HE SLEPT IN MY BED!", she yelled.

Mimi's eyes widen. "With you?"

"YES!"

"Oh. My. God." Mimi looks at me. "Did you fuck her?"

I blink a few times. "Say what!?"

"Did. You. Fuck. Her."

"What kind of question is that!?"

"Obviously one you're not gonna answer, so I'll just ask Angel. Chica, did he fuck you?"

Angel looks at me for a moment and then turns back to Mimi. "Deseo.", she said. Great! More Spanish!

¿"Ooh, le gusta él, verdad?", Mimi said . . . or . . . asked . . . or . . . somethin'.

"Bien . . . sí y no."

¿"Con qué quiere decir usted 'sí y no'?"

"Yo . . . clase de . . . clase de . . . bien . . ."

¡"Lo escupía ya!"

"Bien, bien. Pienso que tengo . . . caído enamorado de él."

Mimi's eyes go wider. ¿"Para verdadero?"

"Para verdadero."

¿"Ninguna broma?"

"Ninguna broma."

There's a moment of silence before Mimi speaks again. ¿"Puedo decirle?" Angel's eyes widen. ¡"NO¡NO HAGA USTED SE ATREVE A DECIR ALGO¡NUNCA LE PERDONARÉ SI USTED HACE!"

"Fino. No le diré, pero _usted_ debería."

Angel sighs. "Sé." I think I should say somethin'. I'm bein' ignored. It's like I'm invisible or somethin'! "Hey! I'm still here!", I said. Angel looks back at me. "Sorry.", she said.

"Yeah. Didn't mean to leave you hangin' like that.", Mimi added.

"It's cool. I just need to know if I should start carrying around a Spanish to English, English to Spanish dictionary around ya'll." Mimi laughs for a record three seconds before staring at me Angel. "Awww! How adorable!"

"What?", Angel and I both said together.

"You guys are holding hands!" I look down and behold! Our hands are still together. I didn't even notice that. I wait for Angel to drop my hand, but she, for some strange reason, doesn't. "What would you two like for breakfast?", Angel said.

"PANCAKES!", Mimi yelled.

"Loud enough?", I asked. Mimi sticks her tongue out at me and Angel giggles. "What would you like Collins?", she asked. I think for a moment.

"Got any Captain Crunch?"

"Always! So that's pancakes and Captain Crunch. I'll be right back." Angel lets go of my hand and disappears into the kitchen, leaving me and Mimi alone. "So, why'd your parents name you Collins?", Mimi asked, apparently tryin' to break the ice. "They didn't. Collins is my last name.", I said.

"You go by your last name?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Cause I hate my first name. It makes me sound like I'm a damn monarchist."

"I take it you're not."

"Oh hell no! I'm the exact opposite! I hate the government!"

"So you're an anarchist that goes by his last name cause his first name sounds royal?"

"You know it."

"What _is _your first name?"

"Thomas." I cringe.

"Tom for short I suppose."

"Yeah."

There's a silence and then . . . "HOLY SHIT!", Mimi yelled, makin' me jump out of my skin. "What?"

"I JUST REALIZED YOUR NAME IS TOM COLLINS!" Oh damn. Not another one. "ARE YOU AWARE THAT PEOPLE DRINK YOU!?" I roll my eyes. "Yes. I'm aware of that. Can we talk about somethin' else besides the fact that I'm named after an alcoholic beverage?"

"Yeah sure. You wanna talk about your feelings for Angel?" I stop breathin' for a moment. "I've only known for like 5 minutes. How'd you find out about that?", I asked. Mimi's eyes widen. "Oh my God. You really do have feelings for her?" I look away. "I didn't say that."

"But you implied it. Admit it. You like her."

"No I don't. I lov . . ." Crap! I almost said it! If I try to cover it up, maybe she won't notice. " . . . never mind." I mentally kick myself. _Nice save Collins!_

"No. What were you about to say?"

"Nothing."

"You were about to say 'love' weren't you?"

"No . . . yes . . . maybe." Mimi stares at me. "That ain't goin' work on me." She continues to stare. "Stop starin' at me." Okay, now she's scarin' me. How the hell does this girl keep her face like that? It's too much! "Okay, I admit it! I was gonna say 'love'! There! You happy!? You know the truth! Now stop with the eye-thing! IT BURNS!" Mimi's look softens. "That wasn't so bad, was it?", she asked. I stay silent.

"When are you gonna tell her? If you're gonna tell her, I mean." Mimi tries too damn hard to keep a conversation goin'.

"I'm not sure."

"Well, what would you say?"

"I don't know."

"Okay. What makes you love her?"

"Everything!"

"Can ya be a little more specific?"

"Well . . . her smile. It's warm and inviting. It just makes you think she's, and she is mind you, the sweetest person in the world. And that's why it pisses me off to no end that someone would have the nerve to break the heart of someone so . . . incredibly beautiful. But what I find amazing about her is the fact that even though she was hurt, she didn't let it harden her heart. She still has a place for everyone she cares about. Now all I can do is hope she has a place for me. I admit it. I officially admit it. I love her." Mimi's mouth is half-open. "Wow. I've never heard someone talk about her that way and actually mean it.", she said.

"Neither have I." Mimi and I turn toward the kitchen and see Angel standin' in the doorway. "You heard?", I asked. Angel nods. "Every word." I stand up and walk over to her. "Is all of that true?", she asked. There are tears in her eyes. "Yeah. It's all true. Every single word of it.", I said.

"Collins . . . I . . . I feel the same way." We smile at each other, even though we could both cry at any given time, and I can tell we're both thinkin' the same thing. There are no words. Just one sweet, passionate kiss. "I love you Angel.", I whispered after our lips parted. She smiles. "I love you too."

"Oh my God you guys! That was so fucking sweet!", Mimi said from the couch. Angel and I laugh. "Uh . . . breakfast'll be done in a few minutes.", she said. "Oh like you're thinking about breakfast right now!", Mimi said. We all share a laugh and for the first time in a long time, I'm happy and I feel loved.

_Thank you Angel._

**I had a nice time writin' that. Still mad about the whole Jesse leavin' L&O thing, but I'll live. Anyways, I'm sorry for mistakes. Review please! Please? PLEASE!? **

**Translations**

**"Deseo.****"**

**¿"Ooh, le gusta él, verdad?"**

**"Bien . . . sí y no."**

**¿"Con qué quiere decir usted 'sí y no'?"**

**"Yo . . . clase de . . . clase de . . . bien . . ."**

**¡"Lo escupía ya!"**

**"Bien, bien. Pienso que tengo . . . caído enamorado de él."**

**¿"Para verdadero?"**

**"Para verdadero."**

**¿"Ninguna broma?"**

"**Ninguna broma."**

**¿"Puedo decirle?" **

**¡"NO¡NO HAGA USTED SE ATREVE A DECIR ALGO¡NUNCA LE PERDONARÉ SI USTED HACE!"**

"**Fino. No le diré, pero **_**usted**_** debería."**

"**Sé." :**

**"I wish."**

**"Ooh, you like him, don't you?"**

**"Well . . . yes and no."**

**"What do you mean by 'yes and no'?"**

**"I . . . kind of . . . sort of . . . well . . ."**

**"Spit it out already!"**

**"Okay, okay. I think I've . . . fallen in love with him."**

**"For real?"**

**"For real."**

**"No joke?"**

**"No joke."**

**"Can I tell him?"**

**"NO! DON'T YOU DARE SAY ANYTHING! I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU IF YOU DO!"**

**"Fine. I won't tell him, but _you _should."**

**"I know."**


	11. A Blast From the Past

**La, la, la, la, la. La, la, la, la, la, la. Okay, this is the part where I get to write what happens next. Here in the fanfiction world, it's called updating. YAY UPDATING! Do you know how many times I've had to restart my computater-tot to get it to work right? A lot. But now it's workin' so it's all good! Alright, on with the chapter! By the way, judging by the name of this chapter, guess who's in this chapter. **

I own nothing. The Almighty Larson owns it all.

As I sit on the couch, Angel and I watch in amazement while Mimi practically forces her pancakes down her throat. "You do know they ain't runnin' away from you right?", I asked. Mimi glares at me and I put my hands up in defense. "I'm just sayin'."

"Mimi, chica, this is your 2nd plate. Are you _that _hungry?", Angel asked. Mimi swallows. "Nope. I just like your cooking.", she said. Angel smiles at her. "Aw, thanks!", she said. Mimi finishes her pancakes at the same time that there's a knock at the door. Angel gets up, answers the door, and Mark walks in. Wait a minute . . .

"Man, what are you doin' here?", I asked. Mark shoots me a hurt look. "Wow Collins. You should write greeting cards.", he replied.

"I didn't mean it like that. I meant, how'd you know where I was?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"Well . . . I guess so, but how'd you find out where Angel lived?"

"Are you aware of how many people actually know Angel?"

"I take it there's a lot."

"Hey! I remember you!", Mimi said suddenly. "You're that guy that was with Angel and Collins last night! Mark, right?" Mark nods. "Yup. That's me."

"Did you talk to Roger?"

"Yeah."

"And?"

"There's just no getting through to him."

"I coulda told you that.", I said matter-of-factly.

"Then why didn't you?", Mark asked.

"I didn't have the chance to. You were so damn eager to start fightin' with him."

"You and Roger fought?", Angel asked. Mark looks at her for a moment and then sighs. "I don't wanna talk about it.", he said, lookin' around the livingroom. "So, you stayed here last night?", he asked me. "Yeah."

"Where'd you sleep?"

"Well . . ."

"HE SLEPT WITH ANGEL!", Mimi yelled. Mark's eyes widen. "You . . . _slept_ with Angel?", he asked. "Nothing happened!", I said. Mimi rolls her eyes. "Umm hmm.", she said. Mark turns to Mimi. "Did something happen?", he asked. "I don't doubt it.", Mimi said.

"He's telling the truth! Nothing happened!", Angel said.

"Whatever you say.", Mimi said.

"I'm not promiscuous! Why don't you, of all people, believe me?"

"Cause if you have certain types of feelings around someone, something's bound to happen."

"'Certain types of feelings?'", Mark repeated.

"Horniness.", Mimi explained flatly.

"What makes you think we were horny!?", Angel asked.

"Well . . . I don't know about Collins, but you and those dreams you've been having . . ."

"Don't. You. Dare.", Angel warned. Mimi smirks at Angel's glare and continues to tease her about this mysterious dream. "Más difícil... más rápido... no se paran...", Mimi said.

"Shut up!", Angel said.

"Ah mi Dios... esto se siente tan bien..."

"I said: Shut up!"

"Miel . . . oh Dios . . . CÓJAME!"

"SHUT UP!" Angel throws a pillow from the couch at Mimi, who's now laughin' her ass off. "Oh calm down. He can't understand me anyway.", Mimi said after her laugh attack. 

"I don't care! It's embarrassing! Why'd you do that!?"

"Angel, calm down!"

"No! For the rest of the day, I'm not talking to you!" Mimi's mouth drops open. "How can you just not talk to me?", she asked. Angel folds her arms across her chest. "I can't tell you cause I'm not talking to you!", she said.

"Angel, don't you think that's a little mean?", I asked as I wrapped my arms around her waist.

"No! It's not mean enough! She wasn't supposed to say anything!"

"Well, before your "I'm-not-talking-to-Mimi-day" begins, can I make a confession?"

"What?"

"I already knew you've been havin' dreams about me."

"What!? How!? Who told you!?"

"You did."

"No I didn't!"

"Not consciously."

"What are you talking about?"

"You sorta . . . moaned my name in your sleep." Angel gasps and puts one of her hands over her face. "Ah mi Dios. I'm so embarrassed.", she said. I chuckle. "Don't be. It's okay."

"Judging by your attitude towards this, I'd say you've been having some dreams of your own Collins.", Mark said. I blush and take my arms from around Angel as Mark's eyes widen. "Have you been dreaming about her?", he asked. I remain silent and sit on the couch. "Oh my God. Collins has been having wet dreams!", Mimi said.

I glare at her. "Shut the hell up!"

"What was it like? What happened?"

"You want a play-by-play?"

"Oh God! NO!", Mark interjected.

"ANYWAY, there's a Life Support meeting at 12:00 today. Anyone wanna go with me?", Angel asked, changing the subject. What is with this girl and gettin' ready for stuff 3, 4, and 5 hours before it actually begins? "I'll go.", I said. Angel smiles at me and turns to Mark. "What about you?", she asked.

"Anything to get these mental pictures out of my head.", he replied. Angel giggles and turns to Mimi. "Meems, I've decided that I'm gonna talk to you. So, you wanna go?" Mimi shakes her head. "No thanks."

"Chica, it'll help you."

"I know, but I have other things to do today."

Angel gives her a worried look. "Mimi, usted no usa otra vez, verdad?", she asked in Spanish.

"No! It's nothing like that. I just have to learn a new dance for work tomorrow.", Mimi said. I can tell she lied to Angel about whatever she asked her about. And whatever it is, it must be somethin' serious. I start to ask what's wrong before Mark grabs me by the arm and pulls me into the kitchen. "Collins, don't ask.", he said.

"How do you know I was gonna ask somethin'?"

"I can tell when you're curious."

"How?"

"I'm not saying you're curious often, but when you are you make this face."

"I do?"

"Yeah."

"Do you know somethin'?" Mark's eyes widen.

"What's wrong with you?", I asked.

"You seriously don't know? Seriously?"

"Know what?"

"Holy shit. I know something you don't know. Usually you know everything, but this is seriously something you know absolutely nothing about. Wow. I gotta let this sink in."

"Mark!"

"Sorry. It's just amazing to me."

"I realize that. Now, what do you know?"

"Mimi's . . . a junkie."

"What?"

"Yeah."

"How'd you find out?"

"Roger told me."

"How'd he find out?"

"Mimi told him."

"Ain't nothin' secret nowadays?"

"Guess not."

"Wait. You understood what Angel said?"

"Some of it. You can't say I told you."

"I won't man."

We go back in the livingroom and see Angel's gone and Mimi's puttin' her shoes on. "Hey, Mimi, where'd Angel go?", I asked. She looks up at me. "She's takin' a shower.", she replied. I nod and take a joint out of my pocket. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. Angel doesn't like it when people smoke in her house.", Mimi said.

"Fine. I'll be outside." I leave the apartment, walk outside, sit on the curb, and light my joint. After I've been smokin' for a good five minutes, I hear footsteps behind me. You know how you can feel when somebody's behind you just standin' there starin' at you? That's how I feel right now. I ain't even kiddin'. "I see you're still smokin'.", I hear a voice say. I turn around and see the absolute last person I want to see right now or ever. Josh, the only man I've ever met who was taller than me. Only by a foot and a half though.

"Damn.", I said.

"What kind of greeting is that?", Josh asked.

"The kind only you get. You should feel special." I put my joint out and stand up.

"You look like you're doin' a lot better. You look . . . happy."

"I was. Then I saw you." Josh puts his hand over his heart. Or black hole in his case.

"Ouch. That hurt Collins."

"Good." Josh comes over to me and puts his arm around. I _really _don't want his fucking arm around me. "Aw. Don't be so mean.", he said. I start squirmin'. "What's wrong with you?", Josh asked. I continue to squirm. "I don't want your damn hands on me. I'm with someone and I don't think she'd appreciate it either.", I said.

"You're datin' a girl?"

"Drag queen."

"Oh. You've finally stopped cryin' and moved on."

"Yes I have. Now, don't put your hands on me no more."

"This isn't puttin' my hands on you." Josh takes his arm from around me and grabs me by the back of my neck. "This is." I start squirmin' again. "Get off me!", I yelled.

"If I own somethin' I can do whatever the hell I want to it."

"You don't own me! Now, let me go!"

"Oh I'll let you go alright. Right over the Brooklyn bridge." He starts draggin' me away from Angel's apartment. I don't scream cause I know exactly what he's capable of doin' to me. At the same time, I'm scared outta my mind. He puts me in a car that's parked in a nearby alley, gets in the drivers seat, and pulls off. Then reality hits me.

I'm bein' kidnapped.

Another thing I'm not proud of writing. Damn-it! Why the hell do I keep putting Collins in these situations!? I think I need some help. Anyways, review please! Oh yeah. I'm takin' any suggestions for Collins' rescue in the next chapter.

Translations:

"Más difícil . . . más rá**pido . . . no se paran . . .": "Harder . . . faster . . . don't stop . . ." **

"Ah mi Dios . . . esto se siente tan bien . . .": "Oh my God . . . that feels so good . . ."

"Miel . . . oh Dios . . . CÓ**JAME!": "Honey . . . oh God . . . TAKE ME!" **

"Mimi, usted no usa otra vez, verdad?": "Mimi, you're not using again, are you?"


	12. My Guardian Angel

**Ohtay peoples! I'm feelin' kinda bad right now cause I made a really bad character kidnap a really good character. No need to worry! This is the part where I fix it! So, here goes!**

**I own nothing. The Almighty Larson owns it all.**

_Why is this happening? What could possibly be the explanation of why this just __**had**__ to happen to me? I don't even get it. Is he mad at me or somethin'? Did I do somethin' wrong? Is he gonna hold me against my will for months or years? Oh God. What if he kills me?_ _Or worse, what if I never see Angel again? This is too much!_

These are the thoughts that are runnin' through my mind right now. Well, mostly the last one. If I'm gonna be killed, I wanna see Angel one last time. Hold up. Why the hell am I thinkin' like this. I've never been a downer and I sure as hell ain't goin' start. But still, what if I don't get to see her again? I'm so fucking scared right now, but I'm not gonna show it. No way.

I just stare out the window and watch the apartments go by. I don't even know where the hell I am or where he's takin' me. I can't fucking stand it anymore! If I ask where we're goin', one of two things will happen. He'll either tell me, or say it's none of my business and smack the hell outta me. I definitely don't want that to happen. Again. I continue to stare out the window and out of the corner of my eye I see Josh glance over at me. _Don't make any sudden moves! You'll attract his attention!_

"You sure are quiet," Josh said. I don't respond. I just sit there. "Hello?" _Don't say anything. Don't say anything. Don't say anything. _"Are you not talkin' to me anymore?" I look over at him.

"No," I said flatly. He glances at me again and our eyes lock for a split second. I turn my head and look out the window again as the car stops.

"Why are you not talkin' to me all of a sudden?" Josh asked me. No words come out of my mouth. "Aw. Don't be so mean Tommy." Tommy. That name stings. That's the name that only he was allowed to call me. In the past he'd said it, called it, yelled it, moaned it. He even cried it once. But not now. Not anymore.

"Don't call me that," I said, still lookin' out the window.

"Oh my God. You _do _speak. Amazing." I'm silent again. "Maybe a little kiss'll make it better." He strokes my cheek. "Is that it? You want a kiss?" I shake my head. "Sure you do." I shake my head again as he comes closer to me. He turns my head toward him and as soon as our lips are just inches apart, I push him away.

"If you're fucking lips come anywhere near me, I'll rip the damn things off!" I yelled.

"I see. You want _more _than just a kiss, huh?" I feel his hand rubbin' on my leg and I push it away. He starts rubbin' my leg again. His hand is gettin' dangerously close to my . . .

"Stop!" I yelled, forcing his hand away from me. He tries to put his hands on me again, but before he can, I punch him in the face as hard as I can, throw open the door, run into one of the apartment buildings, and bang on the closest door. "Hey! Open up! I need some help!" Before the door opens, Josh grabs me from behind. "Let go of me!" From a distance I hear a familair voice.

"Collins! Collins, honey, where are you!?" _Angel?_

**"ANGEL! I'M IN HERE!" **I yelled as loud as I could. That caused Josh to clamp his hand over my mouth. Suddenly the door I knocked on flies open.

"Who the hell is knockin' on my door like that!? Don't you know there's people tryin' to . . . holy shit! Collins!" _Maureen! _If I could get Josh's hand off my mouth, that's what I'd say. "Get the hell off him you asshole!" Before I even know what's goin' on, I'm thrown to the ground, hittin' my head on a door as go down.

"Stay the fuck outta this Maureen!" Josh yelled. The front door of the building opens and Angel, along with Mark, comes in. She's in drag again. Strangest combo I've ever seen, but she makes it look good.

"Collins! Are you okay?" Angel said, kneeling beside me. I nod.

"So, this is your drag queen?" Josh asked.

"Josh?" Mark said. "What the hell is goin' on here?" Nobody answers. Josh then comes toward me and Angel, pushes Angel outta the way, and picks me up by the sleeve of my shirt.

"Oh no you didn't!" Angel said.

"What are you gonna do about it?" Josh retorted. Angel stands up, walks over to Josh, who's still holdin' me by my shirt, and kicks him in the leg with one of her 9 inch heels. "Shit!" Josh yelled. He lets go of my shirt and grabs his leg. Angel then kicks him in the stomach, knockin' him to the ground, and starts punchin' him.

**"BANZAI!"** Maureen yelled, jumpin' in and kickin' him. Once she and Angel have wailed on him enough, the violence stops.

"And _that's _what happens when you mess with a woman's man," Angel said, before snappin' her fingers in a z formation.

"Damn! That was fun!" Maureen said. "Well, I gotta get ready for my show. See you guys later!" With that, she bounces back into her apartment.

"Thanks for the save Angel," I said. She kisses me on the cheek.

"No problem honey! Now, let's go back to my place and get you showered up and everything. Okay sweetie?" I nod as she takes my hand and she, Mark, and I start walkin' back to Angel's.

_Well what do you know? I guess I have a guardian angel._

**Yeah . . . sucky ending. I know. Don't point it out. It's short too. I promise the next chapter will be longer. _IF _you review. So review please! Please?**


	13. Closer Together

**OMG! OMFG! I HAVE 50 REVIEWS! I'M SO FRICKIN' HAPPY RIGHT NOW! I know every other story has like way more reviews, but I finally hit 50 so I'm happy! YAY! Okay, I just had to put that in. I'm gonna start writing now.**

**I own nothing. The Almighty Larson owns it all. **

"So, that was Josh?" Angel asked me. She's still holdin' my hand as we walk. I nod. "How'd you manage to find someone _that _tall?" Angel seems a little too interested in Josh. I can't see why. He's such an asshole!

"I don't know," I said with no emotion whatsoever. I look over at Mark and see he has a worried look on his face. "What's wrong Mark?"

"Collins . . . he didn't hurt you, did he?" he asked.

I shake my head. "He just talked to me," I said. Then my mind goes back to when he had me in his car. The way he looked at me. The way he talked to me. The way he kept touchin' me. The way he almost . . . I can't even finish that.

"So you mean he kidnapped you and held you against your will just to talk to you?" Mark asked.

"Well . . . yeah."

"I sense I'm not getting the whole truth here. What about you Angel?" Angel nods her head in agreement. "See? I'm not the only one who thinks something happened."

"I'm fine Mark. Really."

"You're positive that nothing happened?"

"Yeah."

"He just wanted to talk to you?"

"Well . . . that's not really all he . . . never mind."

"Honey, what'd he do?" Angel asked. She's concerned. I can tell. Mark is too. I look at the ground_. Nothin' happened. That's true cause I stopped it, right_? "Collins?" I look up at Angel and sigh.

"Okay. He almost . . . he tried to . . . he was close to . . . havin'hiswaywithme."

"So what you're saying is, he was dangerously to raping you?" Mark asked. How the hell did he understand me? I hesitate and then nod.

"Oh my God! Sweetie, are you okay? Did he get far? What happened?" Angel's freakin' out now. I'm glad she's concerned, but I don't want her to be_ that_ scared.

"I'm alright Angel. He didn't get far, okay?" I said. I give her a small kiss to assure her that I'm okay, which she gladly returns. Mark's mouth drops open.

"Are you guys together?" he asked.

"Uh . . . yeah." I said.

"When did that happen?"

"This mornin' actually. I now have a date for the Life Cafe after Mo's show."

"I'm so happy for you." So much sarcasm in one so small.

"Don't be jealous sweetie. I'm sure you'll find someone," Angel said. Mark mumbles somethin' under his breath as we approach Angel's building. We walk up the three flights of stairs, go into her apartment, and Mark sits on the couch, still mumblin'.

"Uh . . . the shower would be in the bathroom right?" I asked.

"Yes," Angel replied. There's a silence.

"And the bathroom would be?"

"Down the hall and to the left. I'll get you a towel and everything and then help you turn the shower on."

I gape at her. "Are you insinuating that I'm too incompetent to turn a shower on?" I asked in shock. Angel giggles and shakes her head as she leads me to the bathroom, grabbin' a towel outta the hall closet on the way.

"No. It's just, my shower's a little tricky." She hands me the towel and I sit it on the sink. "I'll be right back. I gotta get you a washcloth outta the dryer." She leaves the bathroom, shuttin' the door behind her, and I start takin' my clothes off. Not even a minute after I'm naked, the door opens and Mark walks in with a washcloth in his hand.

"Collins, Angel told me to hand you thi . . . **OH MY GOD!"** he yelled.

**"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" **I snatch the towel off the sink and wrap it around my waist as fast as I can and hold it up with one hand. That's when Angel comes rushin' in.

"What's wrong? What happened?" she asked. Mark points at me with a very shaky hand.

"H-he was . . . **NAKED!"** he said.

Angel turns to me. "You wanna explain?" she asked.

"He just got a glimpse of my sexy nakedness and it was too much for him to handle all at once," I said.

"Naked, yes! Sexy, no!" Mark said.

"Well, didn't your mama ever teach you to knock on a door before openin' it?"

"I didn't think you'd be naked! I'm gonna have nightmares for weeks now! First the Parthenon, now this!"

"Mark, why don't you go back to the livingroom and sit down? I'll handle this," Angel said, takin' the washcloth from his hand. She giggles as Mark does as he was advized and then gives the washcloth to me.

"I think he was a little too overdramatic," I said.

"You're right. I'm sure seeing you naked isn't_ that_ scary," Angel replied, giggling.

"I don't think it was the fact that I was naked that scared him."

"You don't?"

"Nope. I think it was the big, black anaconda he saw." Angel starts laughin' like a hyena.

"Oh my God! Another reason why I love you! You make me laugh!" I smile.

"I do what I can. So can you show me how this thing works?" I asked, makin' a gesture toward the shower . . . with the hand that was holdin' the damn towel up! Goddamn-it! The towel falls and I'm . . . exposed. I blush as Angel's eyes shift downward and widen. Her eyes come back to my face and she comes toward me.

"Honey, you don't have to be embarassed," she said, coming closer to me. "It's your natural beauty and I like it." She looks down for a record one second. "That includes your . . . anaconda." She kisses me deeply. As the kiss gets deeper, I suddenly feel her hands on me. Her hands are so smooth and gentle that they make me moan into the kiss.

_Oh my God. Don't stop._

A few more seconds go by and, to my unliking, the kiss is broken and Angel removes her hands. She looks into my eyes for a moment before plantin' a kiss on my chest. "After we come from the Life Cafe, I can give you so much more," she whispered in my ear, sendin' chills up my spine. "It's all because you've shown me how to love again. And for that, I have to thank you." She then gives me one last kiss on the lips, turns the shower on, and leaves the bathroom.

After I stand there for at least a minute starin' blankly into space, I finally step into the shower and start to wash myself. I have a small smirk on my face and that smirk is from the information I've just received. Translation: I'm gettin' thanked and you're not! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!

**This one's short too! What happened to all my long chapters? I swear on the life of . . . Andrew Lloyd Webber the next chapter will be longer! Mistakes apologize for I do. Now, review please!**


	14. This Can't Be Happening To Me!

**I'M BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK! Yeah. Remind never to do that again. Anyways, thanks for the reviews peepoles and peepets! I'm one away from 60! Excited I is! Oh how very, very excited I is! Now I is gonna write.**

**I own nothing. The Almighty Larson owns it all.**

"Collins? Collins?" Somebody's callin' me, but I can't make out who. "Collins?" Still nothin'. It's probably cause I'm half-lisentin' anyway**. "COLLINS!" **That's enough to snap me back to reality, where I'm walkin' down the street with Angel to my right and Mark to my left. Note to self: Avoid daydreamin' when walkin' in the middle of the goddamn street!

"Hmm?" I responded.

"Are you still living?" That's the voice I couldn't make out. I see now it's Mark's.

"What kind of question is that?"

"Well, you've been in a daze ever since we left Angel's apartment. And you still have that stupid grin on your face."

"Hey! My grin ain't stupid! It's your . . . your . . . your face that's stupid!"

"Nice comeback Collins." Mark rolls his eyes as I turn to Angel.

"Do you think my grin is stupid?" I asked her.

"Of course not honey. I think it's really cute," Angel said, smilin' and pinchin' one of my cheeks. I smile back at her as I take her hand and we intertwine our fingers. Mark sighs.

"What's wrong man?" I asked. Mark shakes his head.

"It's nothing," he replied.

"Don't gimmie that "it's nothing" shit. I can tell when somethin's wrong with you and somethin's definitely wrong. So, what is it?"

"I just thought Maureen was the one for me and now she's with Joanne."

I stifle my laughter. "Well, I'm pretty sure I can't help you there," I said, releasing Angel's hand and puttin' my arm around Mark. "But I _can_ give you some words from the wise." We stop walkin'. "Now, Mark," I started.

"Yeah?" Mark replied.

"Mo is bisexual. We all know this and we have known it for a very long time." Mark's eyes widen.

"How come I didn't know?" he asked in shock. I take my arm from around him and give him a look signifying that I might think he's the stupidest person in the world. And I do right now.

"Yeah Mark. Your girlfriend's just gonna come up to you one day and say "Hey, wanna play a guessing game? I'll go first! Okay, guess what? I've figured out I'm bi. Actually, I've been bi for a while now, but I didn't say anything to you. Okay, now it's your turn. By the way, wanna find a hot chick and go have a threesome?" Is that what you think would happen?"

"I don't think that's what would happen exactly."

"Oh for the love of Christ! She didn't tell you because she thought you'd leave her."

"So instead she left me?"

"Guess so."

"Gee. Thanks for the pep talk Collins."

"Anytime man. Anytime." I smile and take my arm from around Mark as we start walkin' again. We're all silent for a moment until Mark's camera hits Angel in the elbow.

"Ow," she said, rubbin' her elbow.

"Sorry Angel. It was an accident," Mark said. Hmm. I could just let this go, or I could have some fun with it and turn it into a _very _big deal just to create a conversation. Yeah, I'm goin' with that one.

"Like hell it was," I said calmly.

"What?" Mark said confused.

"You heard me."

"I'm not sure I understand what you mean."

"You know that wasn't an accident."

"What are you talking about? Yes it was."

"No it wasn't."

"Would you care to explain how it wasn't?"

"You're jealous that I'm datin' someone and you ain't cause your girlfriend left you for another woman so you gotta take it out on my girl. Don't think I ain't on to you."

"Collins, what the hell are you talking about?" Mark's gettin' irritated. So far so good.

"You know exactly what I'm talkin' about!"

"No I�fuckin' don't!"

"Yes you fuckin' do!"

"Collins! Mark! Why the hell are you fighting over something that was an accident?" Angel interjected.

"Ha! Told you it was an accident!" Mark gloated. I put my hand over my heart and gape at Angel.

"How could you?" I asked her.

"How could I what?"

"How could you take his side? I'm the one who loves you! Do you not love me anymore?"

"Honey! Why would you ask me a question like that? Of course I love you, but it _was _an accident. Okay?"

I sigh. "Okay." She gives me a little peck. _Ha ha. No one will ever know I did that cause I was bored._

"What time is it?" Mark suddenly asked.

"I think it's around 9:00," Angel said.

"Okay, I'm gonna go film some stuff and I'll meet you guys at the loft in a couple hours."

"Alright. See you soon sweetie." Mark walks ahead of us, turns the corner, and we can't see him any more. "So, what do you wanna do honey?" I look over at her.

"Let's not start that again," I said. Angel giggles. "Actually, I was thinkin' about goin' to talk to Roger. If that's okay."

"Of course it is. And while you're talking to Roger, I'll go check on Mimi and we'll meet up later. Agreed?"

"Agreed." We start headin' to the loft. As we walk, I put my arm around Angel's waist and pull her closer to me cause I'm smooth like that. Once we're at the correct building, I walk Angel to Mimi's place and then head up to the loft..

Oh yeah, I forgot. The door's locked. I walk back outside, climb the fire escape, and push on the window, which is unlocked. I quietly step into the loft and see Roger sittin' on the couch with his eyes closed. I walk up behind the couch and look down at him.

**"BREAK YOURSELF, FOOL!"** I yelled, causing Roger to jump out of his skin. 

"Goddamn-it Collins! Don't do that!" Roger yelled at me. 

"Well learn to lock the damn window then."

"What are you doin' here?"

"You forgettin' I live here?"

"Then where'd you go last night? Were you with Angel?"

"Yeah."

"What'd you guys do?"

"Why's my personal life so interesting to you?"

"Cause Mark's personal life consists of filming, trying to get me out of the house, and masturbating when he thinks no one's around."

"Ugh! I didn't need to know that last part!"

"Well, that's too bad." Roger sits back on the couch and I join him. "So, why'd you decide to come over after ditching me and Mark last night?"

"I just wanted to talk to you."

"About what?"

"About Mimi. She . . ."

"I don't wanna talk about her."

"Why do constantly keep pushin' every girl that wants to be with you away?"

"Cause they're all the same. They're either groupies, fan-girls, or junkies. Mimi's a junkie and I don't want anything to do with her."

"She reminds you of April doesn't she?" Roger nods. "Well, why don't you just give her a chance?"

"She's a junkie and I just quit."

"Maybe she'll change and you'll like the new her. You ever thought about that?"

"Not really. And I do like her I'm just . . ."

"Just what?"

"Scared."

"Scared of what?"

"Scared to move on. I mean, I was with April a long time and it's gonna take me that long to get over her."

"I know how you feel." Roger suddenly stands up.

"No you don't! You don't know how I feel! The girl I thought was the love of my life is gone! She left me in one of the most heartbreaking of ways! You don't know how it feels to have your heart ripped out of your chest and then put back upside down! Boo hoo if your boyfriend left you for someone else! He's still alive! April's dead! Don't you get it? You can just go out and find someone else or get back together with Josh! It's not that easy for me and you'll never understand it!" he yelled. I stare at him for a moment. _Oh no this skinny little white motherfucker didn't!_

"It's nice to hear your feelings. Now, it's my turn." I stand up. "The man I thought was the love of my life is gone too! The way he left me was heartbreaking no matter how minor it may seem to you! You're right about me not knowing how it feels to have my heart ripped out and put back upside down cause mine was back sideways! That's much worse! When your heart's sideways you wanna move on, but you don't think you can! And when you finally get enough courage to move on, you run into the person that broke your heart over and over and over again! Moving on is never easy no matter who you are or what you've been through! So the next time you wanna say I don't know how you feel, **GET OFF YOUR LAZY, EMO-FIED ASS AND ****CHECK YOUR FUCKIN' FACTS!"**

Tears are burnin' my eyes. Roger gives me a look like I just kicked his ass and walked away. He comes toward me and tries to put a hand on my shoulder, but I move away from him and head for the door.

"Collins, wait," he called after me. I turn around as he approaches me. I look him straight in the eyes.

"What?" I said.

"I didn't mean anything I just yelled at you. I'm just frustrated right now. I wanna be with Mimi, but I don't know what to do about the drugs." I wipe away the tears that are dangerously close to pourin' down my face.

"Just . . . give her a chance. Or at least try," I said.

"How?"

"Well . . . how 'bout the dinner party tonight at Life Cafe?"

"That could work." There's a silence before Roger comes closer to me and hugs me. I hug him back and we stand there for at least 3 minutes, hugging.

"I'm gonna step outside for some air. Wanna join me?" I asked after the hug ended. Roger nods. Once we're outside, Roger stops dead in his tracks. I look over at him. "What? Havin' second thoughts?"

"No, I just thought this would be better with our good friend Mary Juana," he said. I chuckle.

"Don't ever say that again in your natural born life."

"Right. I'll be right back." Roger goes back inside. While I'm standin' alone in the middle of the street waitin' for him, I'm grabbed from behind, a hand clamps over my mouth, and I'm dragged into an alley. The hand uncovers my mouth.

"Hello again Collins." Perfect! Just fuckin' perfect! Why does he keep appearin' outta nowhere? Why can't he just leave me the fuck alone? Why?

"What the hell do you want Josh?" I asked/yelled.

"That's none of your concern. But, if you'd just let me have it, I wouldn't have to keep doing this," he said. I manage to gain a small amount of freedom, but he still has a tight grip on one of my arms.

"Well, whatever it is you want, you can't have it!" I yelled. Honestly, I don't think that made any sense since I have no idea what he wants.

"If I want somethin', I'll take it," he explained in a cynical voice.

"I don't know what you mean."

"Then I'll use you as an example." _An example? Oh shit. I think I know where this is goin'. _"If I want you," he lowered his voice, "I'll take you." I feel myself start to tremble.

"W-what do you mean by that?" Josh pushes me against a wall.

"Allow me to show you."

Then the thing I've been dreading and fearing would happen starts with a forced kiss. There's groping added and before I know it, I'm on the ground with Josh on top of me. Before continuing, he looks me in the eyes.

"Do yourself a favor. Don't scream."

**Mistakes I'm sorry for.�I have nothing�else to say except: Review this while I beat myself in the head with the heaviest thing I can find! I. REALLY. FUCKIN'. HATE. MY. SELF. RIGHT. NOW. :(**


	15. Why Me?

**I. Still. Fuckin'. Hate. My. Self. And my head hurts now. I'm gonna make myself love myself again. It's gonna take a lot, but I'm gonna do it! I will! My reviewers have decided and this shall be the version that remains in the story. The other one is gonna go bye bye. Thanks Ginger Glinda**

**I own nothing. The Almighty Larson owns it all.**

"Josh! Please don't do this to me!" I don't think I've ever been this scared in my life. I can't move. I can't think. I can barely breathe. I need help! Fuck what he said! **"SOMEBODY HELP ME! PLEASE!" **I yelled. I listen to my own voice echo off the walls. Damn! It didn't work! I start to yell for help again, but I'm interrupted by Josh's fist makin' contact with my face.

"What the fuck did I just say about screamin'?" he said. In fear of being hit again, I'm silent. I then feel his hand on the zipper of my jeans and my heart sinks. _Oh God! No! No! NO! _

"Josh, don't," I begged. He ignores me and proceeds in unzipping my pants. "Josh, please!" My mind is spinnin' so damn fast, I don't even hear the footsteps of a new person comin' into the alley.

"What the fuck?" That sounds like Roger. Everything stops for a moment as Josh looks at the person who's just entered the alley. He then looks back down at me.

"We'll finish this later," he said before kissin' me, zippin' my pants back up, gettin' off me, and runnin' down the alley out of sight.

"Collins, are you alright?" I see now that the person _is _Roger, but I don't answer him. I just lay there, staring at the sky. "Collins?" I still say nothin'. I can't. I don't know what'd I'd say even if I tried to speak. "Collins, say something. Anything. Just let me know you're okay." I open my mouth to respond, but nothin' comes out. "You _are _okay, aren't you?"

"I . . ." Why can't I talk?

"You what?" I'm quiet again. This is rigoddamndiculous! Why the hell ain't my vocal cords workin'? "Come on. Let's go back up to the loft." Roger helps me up off the ground and leads me back to the loft. Once there, I sit on the couch, still extremely silent. Roger pours a cup of coffee, hands it to me, and sits down next to me.

"Collins? Are you alright?" Roger asked after givin' me a gentle shake. I look at him for a few seconds before finally findin' my voice.

"I . . . I don't know," I said.

"Did anything happen?"

"Like what?"

"Well, did he . . . touch you?" I nod. Roger sighs and turns my head. "Whoa. That's gonna be so noticeable to Angel." I sit my coffee down without even takin' a drink.

"What is?" I asked. Roger goes to his room and comes back with a small mirror. He gives it to me and as I look at my reflection, I see I have the worse black eye in the history of the world. I touch it and wince.

"Damn," I said, turnin' to Roger. "Think she'll believe I fell?"

"I doubt it. Where the hell did that come from anyway?" Roger replied.

"Josh."

"He hit you again?"

"Yeah."

"Collins, if you got that from a human hand, there's no way in hell Angel's gonna believe you fell. You gotta tell her the truth."

"Are you crazy? If she finds out that Josh is stalkin' me, she's gonna freak."

"He's stalkin' you?"

"Well . . . that's what it seems like."

"How many times have you seen him?"

"Twice today."

"How many times altogether? I mean, since you guys have been apart."

"I don't know, but when I left, he followed me."

"You mean, when you left for MIT?"

"Yeah."

"My God. He _is _a stalker."

"I know." I touch my blackened eye again and there's a knock at the door. "Shit! That might be Angel! Quick! Help me hide this!"

"How?"

"Uh . . . sunglasses!"

Roger runs into my room and comes back with a pair of sunglasses that I forgot I had. I put them on as he opens the door and Mark is standin' on the other side.

"It's okay, Collins. It's only Mark," Roger said.

"Insulted before I even step in the door. That's a new record," Mark said, comin' into the loft.

"Sorry. We thought you were Angel."

"Sure you did."

"Hey, what happened to filmin'? I asked.

"Oh, I was running out of film so I came back to get some more. What's with the sunglasses?"

"They help stimulate my coolness level."

"Well, why are you wearing them _inside_? Don't you think that's a little strange?"

"I don't tell you how to live _your _life."

"Whatever." Mark stares at me for a moment and then shakes his head. "Never mind."

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing," Mark replied.

"Seriously, what is it?

"I can see right through you."

"Meaning?"

"I can tell you're hiding something."

I scoff. "I am not!"

"Are to."

"Am not!"

"Are to."

"What makes you think I'm hidin' somethin'?"

"The sunglasses."

"I already told you what they're for."

"They can't be for your coolness level Collins."

"Why the hell not?"

"Cause you don't _have _a coolness level."

"Ooh, burn," Roger said, chuckling.

"Shut the fuck up," I retorted. I pick up a couch pillow and throw it at him, not even noticing that Mark's hand is inches away from my face. Before I can move out of his reach, he takes the sunglasses off my face and he gasps at the sight of my black eye. "Hey!" I cover my eye with one hand.

"Oh. My. God," Mark said, movin' my hand away from my face. "What the hell happened to your face?"

"Nothin'. I just . . . I fell," I said.

"No you didn't. Why are you hiding the truth?"

"I'm not hidin' the truth. I just don't wanna tell it to you."

"Did you get beat up by a girl or something?" I don't say anything. "_Did _you get beat up by a girl?" I walk over to the window and sit on the ledge. I hear Mark laughin' slightly. "Oh my God! Collins got beat up by a girl!"

"He didn't get beat up by a girl Mark," Roger said.

"What'd he get beat up by then? A wall?" Mark asked, still laughin'. I look over at him and then turn back to the window.

"Hey, ixnay on the easingtay upidstay," Roger warned.

"Who are you callin' upidstay?" Mark asked.

"You dumb-ass!"

"Well, to save myself a few more brain cells, anybody wanna tell me what's goin' on?"

"Josh, okay? He's what's goin' on," I said, still lookin' out the window.

"What'd he do?" Mark asked. I tear my attention away from the outside world and look over at him.

"What'd he do? You really wanna know what he did?"

"Yeah."

I lower my voice to almost a whisper before saying, "The bastard tried to rape me." Mark's eyes widen.

"Please tell me you're joking," he said.

"I wouldn't joke about somethin' this serious Mark," I informed him.

"Are you gonna be alright?" Roger asked me. I go back to starin' out the window. "Collins?" I don't answer. I'm too busy thinkin' about what happened, what coulda happened, and, most of all, that two word question that everybody asks themselves at least once a week.

Why me?

**Short, I know, but you should review it anyways if you haven't already! :)**


	16. Sharing, the truth, and murder plans

**Hi peepoles and peepets! It's time for me to update! WHOO! Okay, I have a throbbing headache right now so I'm gonna take some pain killers of some sort. Read, review, and enjoy! (takes two Tylenol)**

**I own nothing. The Almighty Larson owns it all.**

"Hey Collins. You wanna share that?" Roger asked. I look at the joint in my hand, at Roger, the joint, at Roger . . . then the joint one more time. Should I share? Well, I _have_ heard from a lot of people who have kids that sharing is caring. Hmm . . . what a load of bullshit!

"Nope," I replied, stickin' the joint back in my mouth. Roger gapes at me as I take the joint outta my mouth and blow out a hell of a lot of smoke. "Did you understand me or do I gotta repeat myself?"

"I thought we shared everything," Roger said.

"Exactly. 'Shared.' Past tense my friend."

"But I always share things with you."

"Yeah. Things I don't want."

"Name one thing that I shared with you that you didn't want."

"Okay. You remember that night you wanted to go out girl huntin'?"

"How could I forget _that_? It was the greatest night of my life."

"Not the point."

"What _is _the point then?"

"The point is: you came home with a girl on each arm, took one of them to your room, pointed at me, and told the other one to, and I quote, "show him a good time." Now, correct me if I'm wrong, am I not, and always have been, 100 percent gay?"

"Yeah."

"There you go. That's sharin' somethin' with me that I MOST DEFINITELY didn't want."

"Oh sure. Bring up that one time."

"One time?" Mark interjected, pointin' his camera at me and Roger. "Need I remind you of the time you shared your birth mark, that you thought looked like Elvis's hair, with both of us?"

"Oh yeah. That was nasty!" I said.

"I thought you were gay," Roger said.

"I am, but that don't mean I wanted to see _ANYTHING_ underneath _YOUR _clothes!"

"You know you liked it."

"Like hell I did! I can honestly say, and let me be struck by lightening if I'm lyin', that seein' your birth mark almost turned me straight."

"No lightening," Roger said in shock. "Oh my God! He's telling the truth! Mark! Tell me you got that!"

"I got it! I just don't believe it!" Mark replied. I shake my head.

"You guys are idiots," I said. Two minutes go by as I sit on the couch listenin' to Mark and Roger go crazy over the fact that I could be straight right now (and I'm not thank God otherwise I wouldn't be with Angel) before there's a knock on the door. I put my sunglasses back on, open it, and Angel walks in.

"Hi Collins," she said, kissin' me on my cheek.

"Hi there," I replied with a smile. We walk over to the couch and sit down.

"What's with those two?" Angel asked, pointin' at Mark and Roger.

"They're just bein' themselves," I explained.

"Hey! Angel's here!" Mark said suddenly.

"Hi Mark. Hi Roger," Angel said, receiving a wave from both of them. She then turns back to me. "Uh, Collins? Why are you wearing sunglasses inside?" I look to Mark and Roger for help, but they turn away. Some friends they are! "Hello?" Angel turns my head back to her, takes my sunglasses off, and gasps. "Honey! What happened to you!?" I search my brain for an excuse. I can't find one! I could blame it on one of my unsuspecting friends. Yeah! That's what I'll do!

"Um . . . Roger punched me," I said.

"What!?" Roger said.

"Roger! How could you!?" Angel said in disbelief.

"I didn't do anything to him!"

"He's telling the truth Angel," Mark said.

"Well if Roger didn't hit him, what happened?"

"I don't really know if it's my place to tell you."

"I'll tell her! Josh hit him!" Roger said.

"Roger!" I yelled.

"Josh hit you?" Angel asked.

"Yeah! While trying to rape him!"

"Roger! Shut up!" I yelled.

"He tried to rape you!?" I sigh and nod. Angel's silent for a moment before she decides to speak again. "Do you know where he went?" I shake my head. "You ever been to Mexico?" I hesitate at her odd question and then shake my head again.

"Why?" I asked.

"Cause that's where we're gonna go after I cut a giant hole in Josh's stomach, rip his intestines out, strangle him with them, and then throw him over the Brooklyn bridge," she explained rather calmly. Mark and Roger take a few steps back and scoot away from her.

"Um . . . Angel? You wouldn't really do that, would you?" Mark asked.

"Well, not before I cut off his balls, boil them in motor oil, and shove them down his throat," Angel said. Now she's _really _scarin' me.

"Why exactly are you telling us this?" Roger asked.

"I'm trying to say what I wanna say in the most detailed way I can."

"And you're trying to say what?"

"**I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL THAT GUY!" **That's my cue to get up and walk behind one of my blonde friends. **"I'M NOT EVEN KIDDING! I'M GONNA HUNT HIM DOWN AND FUCKING KILL HIM! AND IF HE DIES BEFORE THAT, I'LL BRING BACK TO LIFE AND KILL HIM AGAIN!" **

After her little outburst, Angel picks up a couch pillow, screams into it, and then falls on the couch. I cautiously walk over to the couch, sit down next to Angel, and put my hand on her back.

"You goin' be okay?" I asked. Angel sits up and I pull her into a hug.

"Not if you're not gonna be okay," she said.

"I'm gonna be fine, okay?"

"You sure?"

"Positive." I kiss Angel's forehead and she kisses my lips. Then I start kissin' her neck. She seems to like it when I kiss her neck.

"Uh . . . I hate to break up the moment here, but it's 11:30," Mark said.

"Oh . . . um . . . Collins stop . . . okay . . . stop it . . . Collins I'm serious!" Angel said, pushin' me off of her.

"But Angel, I like kissin' you," I pouted.

"I know honey, but you'll have to wait til some other time. We have to go."

"Fine."

"Where you guys goin'?" Roger asked.

"Life Support," Angel said.

"Ah, I see," Roger replied.

"It really helps man," I informed him.

"I'm sure it does."

"I think you should come."

"I don't know Collins."

"Well, at least for a little while."

"I'll think about it."

"Good. Ya'll ready to go?" Mark and Angel both nod and we head toward the door.

"Oh wait," Angel said, goin' through her backpack thing and pullin' out some type of makeup. I eye it suspiciously.

"What's that for?" I asked.

"To cover up that black eye of yours," Angel explained. "Now come here."

"No," I said.

"Yes."

"I don't wear makeup."

"It's just cover up." I groan.

"Do I have to?"

"Yes. Now come here." I reluctantly let Angel apply the cover up to my eye. After she's finished, she picks up the mirror, that's on the table, and puts it up to my face. "Ta da!"

"Wow. You can't even see it," I said. Angel smiles.

"That's the beauty of makeup, sweetie. Now, let's go. And make sure you think long and hard about Life Support. Okay Roger?" Roger nods, we say goodbye, and walk out the door.

**Grrrrrrr. Shortness. Stupid shortness. Stupid, stupid shortness. Even though this is like really short, you should still review it cause I love to read your reviews! Mistakes are apologized for from the bottom of my heart. :)**


	17. Ain't No Stoppin' Me Now

**I am soooooooooo sorry for your long** **wait! It's not my fault! Blame school! Yeah, I feel really, really, really, really, really, really, really bad right now! I promise I will never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever make you wait this long again! I swear! And if I break that promise, the evil leprechauns will steal me out of my bed and devour my flesh. Okay? Okay. Read and review good people.**

**I own nothing the Almighty Larson owns it all.**

"It's nice to see you again. Welcome back," Paul greeted me and Mark. "Angel, you've done it again."

"I do my best to help out," Angel said with a smile.

"Well, shall we sit down?"

"We shall." Mark, Angel, and I follow Paul to the circle of chairs. There's only two people here. What gives?

"Hey, where is everybody?" Mark asked.

"Oh, they're on their way," Paul said. "So, anything new with you two?"

"Not really," Mark said. Paul turns to me.

"What about you?" he asked. I shake my head and sit in one of the chairs. "Nothing at all?" I shake my head again. Paul looks at Angel. "Angel, can I speak with you for a moment?"

"Sure," she said. "I'll be right back." She kisses me on the cheek and walks away.

"Collins, why aren't you talking?" Mark asked, sitting down beside me.

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe I just don't wanna talk?" I asked.

"No." I roll my eyes.

"Obviously."

"Is something wrong?"

"Why?"

"Well, you're never this quiet unless something's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong Mark."

"You sure?"

"Will you just leave me alone?"

"There _is _something wrong, isn't there?" I stare at him for a moment, then I get up, walk out of the building, and sit on the stairs with my head in my hands. He's right. There's somethin' wrong, but I just don't wanna talk about it. As I sit there on the stairs thinking about everything that's happened to me today and all the shit that's probably gonna happen to me tomorrow, I feel a hand on my shoulder. I look up and Paul sits down beside me.

"Hi," he said. I look away and continue thinking. "Uh . . . would like someone to talk to?" I shake my head and remain silent. "Collins, you being so quiet wouldn't happen to be the result of the traumatic experience of being the victim of an attempted rape in which your ex-boyfriend was the attacker, would it?" I stare blankly at him.

"Excuse me?" I said.

"Angel told me," he replied.

"Why?"

"I asked her if there was something wrong with you."

"And she told you all that?"

"Well, no. I sort of pushed her into telling me."

"Do you normally push people into tellin' you things about other people's personal life?"

"No. I just knew something was wrong and I wanted to know if there was anything I can do to help."

"Not unless you can change the past."

"Collins, other than running these Life Support meetings, I'm also a certified counselor."

"I don't need counseling."

"Well, just in case . . ."

"I. Don't. Need. Counseling." The door suddenly opens and Angel comes out.

"Everything okay?" she asked. I stand up.

"It's all good," I said. I give her a kiss to assure her I'm alright, take her hand, and lead her back into the building. She soon stops me from walkin', turns me around, and looks me in the eyes.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked. I'm quiet and stare into her eyes. "Honey, it's alright to admit your feelings." I sigh and pull her into an abandoned hallway.

"Angel, I'm fine," I told her. "Completely fine."

"Then why are you being so quiet?" she asked.

"Well . . . I've been thinkin' about what happened . . . almost happened and I've decided that I'm not goin' let it stop me." Angel gives me a confused look.

"Stop you from what?" she asked. I take both of her hands in mine and kiss them.

"From lovin' you," I said. She smiles and kisses me. I deepen the kiss and I soon have her pinned to a wall. She pulls me as close as humanly possible as our kiss turns into a heated make out session. I start to rub her thigh and she shivers a little. We break for air for a moment, my hand still on her thigh. She looks me in the eyes before slippin' her hands under my shirt and gently caressin' my skin. The make out session then continues as her hands roam my upper body. In the heat of the moment I slide my hand up under her skirt. She moans into my mouth and I start to kiss her neck, makin' her moan again.

_That must be her "spot."_

As I kiss her, I let my hands do whatever the hell they feel like. One of them cups her ass and the other remains under her skirt playin' with her.

"Mmm . . . Collins . . ." she moaned. I love it when she moans.

_This is so fuckin' hot._

We suddenly hear someone clear their throat. Everything stops and we turn to face Mark.

"Um . . . everyone's arriving . . . so the meeting's gonna start soon," he said.

"Uh, okay sweetie," Angel responded.

"We'll be there in a minute," I added. Mark nods and leaves the hallway. "Now, where were we?" I try to go back to kissin' Angel's neck, but she stops me. "What's wrong?"

"There's gotta be _some _mystery to my body otherwise you won't want me later," she said with a smile.

"I don't see that happening, but if that's what you want, that's what you want." I smile and give her peck on the lips before we head back into the main room.

**I'm **_**really **_**sorry once again for making you wait so long. Like, you have no idea. There are no mistakes! They're all dead to me now. Review please! That is, if you don't hate me.**


	18. On The Street

**Okay, school sucks, my room's a mess, school sucks, my phone has a picture of Jesse on it, school sucks, I taped the X-Files just because Jesse was on it (he died in that episode), school sucks, I'm finally updating, and SCHOOL FUCKING SUCKS! It just needs to be over already! Anyway, I'm purposely not writing "Will I?" in this because a) you should already know what happens b) it would be too hard for me and c) I don't have the attention span to do it anyway. So, I'm skipping that and going to sometime after the meeting just so Roger (or as some say "Rahjah") can be in it. If you don't like it, tough nuts!**

**I own nothing. The Almighty Larson owns it all.**

"So, what made you decide to come?" I asked Roger. He stares at me for a moment before actually answering.

"The mental image of you coming back to loft, picking me up, slinging me over your shoulder, and carrying me down here while stopping to kick my ass along the way," he replied. He, Angel, and I laugh while Mark films random people and stops at us.

"Roger, is that a smile I see?" he asked. "It is. And it's a nice one too. Where've you been hiding that, pretty boy?" Roger flips both Mark and the camera off. "Now that's just not nice."

"Who the hell said I was nice?" Roger asked, smirking.

"He got you there Mark," I said, chuckling.

"That's right," Roger continued. "I got you right where I want you."

"Um hmm. Just like Maureen," I added, makin' Roger laugh.

"Well . . . you . . . you . . . screw you Collins!" Mark retorted.

"Sorry to crush your spirits, but you ain't my type."

"EW! Dare to dream!"

"I was just statin' a fact. You most definitely ain't my type."

"I'm sure Angel is. Otherwise you two wouldn't have _**practically had sex **_in the hallway." I look for a comeback, but eventually end up lookin' at the floor for lack of one.

"What do you mean by that?" Roger asked.

"He and Angel were in a hallway all over each other." Roger looks at Angel.

"Seriously?" he said.

"Well, Collins was mostly all over me," Angel replied. I stare at her. "And I can tell by the look on his face that he really didn't want that out in the open."

"What was your first clue?" I asked as we all stood up.

"Sweetie, they were gonna find out anyway."

"Yeah, but I wanted a moment just between us."

"Sorry honey. We can try to have another moment to ourselves. Maybe . . ." Angel pulls me closer to her and whispers, "tonight." Oh shit. There she goes with the whisperin' that sends chills up my spine. Just the way she said "tonight" is enough to drive me to orgasm. I ain't lyin'. I'm goin' crazy here! Now I wish I could fast forward time instead of just . . . holy shit. By thinkin' about Angel's voice when she whispers, I've officially succeeded in makin' myself hard. DAMN-IT!

I swallow hard and Angel kisses me. Wait a minute . . . "swallow?" Ugh! FUCK ME AND MY DIRTY MIND! Oh great. "Fuck me."

"What exactly is gonna happen tonight?" I asked daringly. Not the brightest thing I've ever done, but, hell, I need to know!

"Let's just say, tonight is the night you get to see how high your voice can go and leave it at that," Angel answered, bitin' her lip and lookin' me up and down.

_Don't think I don't know what you're doin' Angel. _

"Angel, are you undressin' me with your eyes?" I asked. Angel smiles at me.

"Would you rather have me use my hands instead?" she replied seductively.

"CHANGING THE SUBJECT," Mark said. "How about we all get outta here?"

"Agreed," Roger said. We all head toward the door.

"So, did you decide to listen to me about Life Support?" Mark asked Roger.

"No, I decided to listen to Collins," Roger replied. Mark's mouth drops open.

"Why him and not me?"

"Sweetie, no offense, but I think Collins is a little more convincing than you," Angel said. Mark mumbles somethin' under his breath as we walk out the door.

"Well, whoever you listened to, I gotta say I'm so glad you came, man," I said. "I'm proud of you."

"Thanks," Roger replied. I turn around and face Angel.

"You alright?" I asked. Angel smiles.

"Never better," she replied, givin' me a small kiss. Her smile turns into a frown when she looks in Mark's direction. "Honey, look." I turn to face Mark and see him filmin' two police officers and a homeless woman. Roger, Angel, and I walk down the stairs to back him up. That is, if he needs backup.

"Smile for Ted Koppel, officers," Mark said. The officers give Mark a look and walk away as he continues to film the homeless woman. She don't look too happy.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" she snapped. Damn! I was right. She ain't happy at all. "I don't need no goddamn help from some . . . bleeding-heart camera man! My life's not for you to make a name for yourself on!" Angel steps up beside a dumbfounded Mark.

"Easy, sugar, easy. He was just trying to–" Before Angel can finish, the lady starts yellin' again.

"Just trying to use me to kill his guilt. It's not that kind of movie, honey. This place is full of mother-fucking artists!" She starts to walk away, but turns back around. "Hey, artist, you got a dollar?" We're all quiet, especially Mark. "I thought not." She finally walks away.

"Damn! Who the hell pissed in her Wheaties this mornin'?" I asked rhetorically while we start walkin'.

"I don't know, but something tells me she wasn't too fond of Mark," Roger said.

"I was just trying to help," Mark said.

"We know what you were doing, honey. She just wouldn't listen," Angel comforted.

"See? It's people like that who really make me wanna move to Santa Fe," I said. "You ain't gotta worry about all this shit in the south."

"Collins, Santa Fe isn't in the south," Roger stated.

"Yes it is. Southwest and southeast are both the south."

"Fine. Why would you wanna move to the south?"

"Are you kidding? ANYWHERE is better than here," Mark declared.

"Yeah, but honey in New York you know what people are gonna do to you. In the south, you have absolutely no idea what they're gonna ask you let alone do to you," Angel said.

"Translation: In New York, people spit in your face. In the south, they smile at you, then spit in your lemonade," I explained. "But I don't care. Sunny Santa Fe, New Mexico, I'm comin' for ya! GET READY, BITCHES!"

**Yeah. I just felt like using the lady's line from the play cause it cracks me up! HAHAHA! Next chapter: Santa Fe & I'll Cover You. Two of my favorite songs! I love them so. Just like your reviews! So review and you get "covered" by Angel or Collins. Your choice! ;)**


	19. A Dream & A Song

**It is time for me to update. Alright, I lied to you guys . . . again. This chapter is only "Santa Fe." The next chapter is "I'll Cover You." And it's been brought to my attention that this story's tenses keep changing so this entire story will be edited to be in the present tense. Little by little. Mkay?**

**I own nothing. The Almighty Larson owns it all.**

"You're a pushover," Roger tells Mark.

"He ain't a pushover, he's just in love," I say in Mark's defense.

"I told you before, I'm not in love with Maureen," Mark says. "Not anymore."

"Mark, you fixed her sound equipment and now you're on your way to her sound check," I inform him.

"So?"

"You wouldn't be doin' all of that if you didn't have feelings for her."

"You don't know that for a fact."

"Yes I do. Admit it. You still love her." Mark looks from me to Roger, from Roger to Angel, then back to me.

"Okay," he says, turnin' bright red. "I admit it."

"Awwwww!" Roger and I tease.

"See, that's exactly why I never tell you guys anything," Mark says, as he turns back to his normal palish color.

"Whether you tell us or not we'll find out," Roger says. A car zooms past us right through a puddle, soakin' us all, except Angel.

"Ugh!" Mark says.

"ASSHOLE!" Roger yells.

"As if I wasn't already fuckin' freezing!" I complain. Angel takes a small towel outta her bag and dries me off the best she can.

"Sorry I can't do better," she says.

"It's okay," I tell her. I then pull her into a kiss.

"Hey!" Roger says. "We're wet too!" I take the damp towel from Angel and throw it at Roger. "Gee . . . thanks."

"No prob," I say, smilin'. Roger gets most of the water off of him and Mark dries himself off with his scarf as we near the subway station.

"It's people like that who make me wonder if there's anywhere we won't have to practically steal and fight everyday to survive," Roger wonders.

"Two words: Santa Fe," I say as we start walkin' down some stairs.

"New York City," Angel says.

"Uh huh," I say.

"Center of the universe," Angel continues.

"Sing it girl."

"Times are shitty, but I'm pretty sure they can't get worse."

"I hear that," Roger puts in.

Angel then continues. "It's a comfort to know, when you're singing the hit-the-road blues," she starts singin' "that anywhere else you could possibly go after New York would be . . ." she gets on the subway ". . . a pleasure cruise." Angel and Roger sit down.

"Now you're talkin'," I say. I laugh for a moment before the subway starts. Mark's knocked into a seat and I'm knocked into a pole.

"Honey, you okay?" Angel asks.

"Uh huh," I lie. That shit hurt! But I don't let it show.

"So, what're you plannin' on doing in Santa Fe?" Roger asks.

"Openin' a restaurant," I answer. "Ya'll could help me."

"Nah," Roger says.

"I'll pass," Mark adds.

"Oh, come on!" I say.

"Why would you wanna open a restaurant anyway?" Mark asks.

"Well, I'm thwarted by a metaphysic puzzle. And I'm sick of grading papers that I know. I'm shouting in my sleep, I need a muzzle. And all this misery pays no salary so . . ." I take off my vest, give it to Angel, and then pick up a nearby cup. ". . . let's open up a restaurant in Santa Fe." I hold the cup out like I'm beggin' for money "Sunny Santa Fe would be . . ." Roger puts somethin' in my little cup. I look in it and see it's a quarter. ". . . nice." I toss the quarter back to him and drop my cup. "We'll open up a restaurant in Santa Fe. And leave this to the roaches and mice." Mark stands up and films me as I spin around on a pole. "Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh." Roger, Mark, and Angel then join me.

"Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh," we all sing as I spin around the pole and give Roger a low-five.

"You teach?" Angel asks me.

"Yeah, I teach," I answer. "Computer age philosophy, but my students would rather watch TV."

"America," Angel says.

"America," Roger, Mark, and I repeat. I jump onto the seat Angel sittin' on.

"You're a sensitive aesthete. Brush the sauce onto the meat," I tell Angel before turnin' to Roger. "You can make the menu sparkle with rhyme." I turn back to Angel and jump off the seat. "You can drum a gentle drum." Well, I gotta do somethin'. Hmm . . . "I can seat guests as they come. Chatting not about Heidegger, but wine." I do a little spin. This is fun! "Let's open up a restaurant in Santa Fe."

"Santa Fe," Angel, Mark, and Roger echo.

"Our labors would reap financial gain." I point to Mark, Angel, then Roger and they all repeat "gain" as I do. "We'll open up a restaurant in Santa Fe."

"Santa Fe," they echo again.

"And save from devastation our brains," I continue as I squeeze Roger's head and give him a shake.

"Save our brains," Angel and Mark say. Angel joins me in dancing on the poles of the subway car.

"We'll pack up all our junk and fly so far away. Devote ourselves to projects that sell," we say. I take Angel's hand and twirl her around a few times. "We'll open up a restaurant in Santa Fe."

"Forget this cold bohemian-" I start.

"-hell," we all finish. We do some more "whoaing" and I twirl two random girls while Angel steals some dudes hat and puts on somebody else. Then I show off my acrobatic skills before Angel and I use the poles to get back to our seats and sit down.

"Do you know the way to Santa Fe?" I ask rhetorically, puttin' one of my arms around Angel and the other around Roger. "You know, tumbleweeds, prairie dogs." I close my eyes and put my feet on a pole in front of me before we all say, "Yeah." Angel's hand starts rubbin' my leg.

"Honey?" she says.

"Mmm?" I reply.

"You asleep?"

"Nope. I'm thinkin' about Santa Fe." I open my eyes and take a blunt from my pocket. "Yo Rog, you got a light?"

"Yeah, hold on," Roger says, diggin' in his pocket. He pulls out a piece of paper and throws it on the floor. He then hands me a lighter as Angel picks the paper up off the floor. "Found it."

"Hey Roger, what's this?" Angel asks, readin' the paper.

"What's what?" Roger asks, takin' the paper from her. "Oh . . . it's just a song. It's nothin' special."

"A song?" I repeat, lightin' my blunt and puttin' in my mouth.

"Yeah. It's not that good though."

"Let me see it," I say, takin' the paper from him and readin' it. "What do you mean it's not that good? This is nice, man. Is it made for two people or somethin'?"

"Yeah. A guy and a girl," Roger explains.

"I wanna hear it," Angel said.

"It's not that good."

"Roger, sweetie, don't say that. It's really good. Please let me hear it."

"I don't have my guitar."

"Sing it a cappella."

"Well . . . okay." Roger takes the paper back, clears his throat, and starts singin'. "Live in my house, I'll be your shelter. Just pay me back with one thousand kisses. Be my lover, I'll cover you." He continues singin' until he's finished with the whole song.

"That was really sweet, Roger," Angel says.

"You think so?" Roger replies.

"Yeah. Did you write that for someone special?"

"Nah. I just wrote it. I don't really think it's that great."

"Can I keep it?"

"Sure." Roger gives Angel the paper.

"Why do you want that song, Angel?" I ask. "I'm not sayin' I don't like it, cause I do, but why do you wanna keep it?"

"Well, most couples have a song, right?" Angel says.

"I guess."

"So, since Roger doesn't like this one, it could be our song." I just look at her. I like the way she talks with her hands. And the way her lips move. And how you can get lost in her eyes. She's just so fuckin' beautiful. What the hell is she doin' with someone like me? "Or not. Forget I said anything." I snap back to reality.

"What?" I say.

"The look on your face says it all. You don't want a song."

"I never . . . I'm sorry. I was just . . . lost for a minute."

"Lost? How?"

"It's gonna sound corny, but I was lost in your beauty." Angel blushes.

"Really?" she says.

"Yeah," I reply, takin' one of her hands in mine and kissin' it. "And I would _love _to have a song with you." Angel smiles and kisses me. After our kiss, she lays her head on my chest and I wrap an arm around her.

"We have a song," she says, smilin'. I kiss the top of her head.

"That we do," I say.

**Okay good people. This is the part where I wait for your reviews to come. So review please! :)**


	20. I'll Cover You

**No, you're not dreaming. I really am updating after . . . God knows how long. So . . . um . . . read and enjoy good people.**

**I own nothing. The Almighty Larson owns it all.**

We start to leave the subway station when Mark sees a familiar face. "Hey, there's Mimi," he tells Roger, who looks in the direction Mark's lookin' in.

"Hey, Mimi!" Roger calls. Mimi turns around, glares at Roger, turns back around, and leaves the station. "What the hell?" Angel puts a hand on his shoulder.

"Sweetie, from what she's told me, she doesn't really wanna talk to you at this point and time," she says. "Ya know, because of the way you treated her."

"Or, in simpler terms, you pissed her off," I say. Roger glares at me. "But that doesn't mean you can't fix it."

"Nice save," he says, rollin' his eyes. As we go up a flight of stairs to get out of the station, Mark looks at his watch.

"Oh, guys, I'm late for Maureen's sound check. I gotta go," he says. "Here, you can help me." He starts walkin' faster and pulls Roger with him.

"Bye," Angel calls.

"See you later," Mark calls back. We walk in silence for a moment, just smilin' at each other. Then the wind blows and we stop as I put my hands in my pockets.

"It's cold," I say. Pointin' out the obvious. Great conversation starter.

"Come on," Angel replies. We start walkin' again and Angel starts singin'. "Live in my house, I'll be your shelter. Just pay me back with one thousand kisses. Be my lover, I'll cover you." I blush for a moment, but I continue our song.

"Open your door, I'll be your tenant. Don't got much baggage to lay at your feet," I sing, takin' one of my hands outta my pocket. Angel takes it in hers gently. "But sweet kisses I've got to spare. I'll be there and I'll cover you."

Then we start singin' together. "I think they meant it when they said you can't buy love. Now, I know you can rent it. A new lease you are my love. On life. Be my life." We dance around for lil' bit. Hey, what's singin' without dancin'? Anyway, after our small dance, we start singin' and walkin' again. "Just slip me on, I'll be your blanket. Wherever, whatever, I'll be your coat."

We stop walkin' right in front of some coat vender and Angel takes a coat off the rack. "You'll be my king and I'll be your castle," she sings while puttin' the coat on me.

"No, you'll be my queen and I'll be your moat," I sing. Angel pays the vender as we sing together again.

"I think they meant it when they said you can't buy love. Now, I know you can rent it." We hold hands and start walkin' again. A new lease you are my love. On life. All my life." And now we're runnin'. I don't know why. Maybe it's just in the heat of the moment. "I've longed to discover something as true as this is." We stop runnin' and I put my hands on Angel's hips at the same time she puts her hands on my shoulders as we sing somewhat simultaneously.

"So with a thousand sweet kisses-" I sing.

"If you're cold and you're lonely" Angel sings.

"-I'll cover you. With a thousand sweet kisses, I'll cover you."

"You've got one nickel only. With a thousand sweet kisses-"

"When you're worn out and tired"

"-I'll cover you. With a thousand sweet kisses-"

"When you're heart has expired."

"-I'll cover you." We start singin' together again.

"Oh lover, I'll cover you. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh lover, I'll cover you." I cup Angel's face in my hands and kiss her. When the kiss is broken we rest our foreheads on each other's and smile.

"I love you," Angel whispers.

"I love you too," I whisper back. We then decide to walk hand in hand. I have no idea where we're goin'. We're just . . . walkin'. Weird. Most people have a destination in mind before they start walkin'. Not us. We go wherever our feet take us.

"Collins, what was going through your mind the night we met?" Angel suddenly asks me.

"I actually started panicking when I first saw you," I answer.

"Why?"

"Cause I thought you were one of the guys who mugged me."

"Well, after that. When you saw I wasn't gonna hurt you."

"I . . . had an urge to kiss you."

"Why didn't you?" Now what kind of question is that? At the time, I'd only known Angel for about . . . four seconds. I know if somebody kissed me after only knowin' me for four seconds, I'd punch 'em in the face and run.

"Um . . . I didn't wanna scare you away."

"You wouldn't have scared me."

"How? I mean, kissin' somebody after knowin' 'em for a few seconds is kinda creepy."

"I believe in love at first sight."

"Oh. That explains it then."

"Don't you believe in love at first sight?" I sigh and we stop walkin'.

"I'm gonna be completely honest with you," I say. "Up until that night, I . . . I stopped believin' in love altogether."

"Because of Josh?" Angel asks. I simply nod. "Well, what made you take a chance with me?"

"You did actually. You gave me the courage to move on."

"I did?"

"Yes. You did." We smile at each other and I look into Angel's eyes. I glance past her for a split second and my smile fades. "Oh shit."

"What's wrong?" Angel asks, startin' to turn around. I make her keep her eyes on me.

"Don't look behind you."

"Why?"

"Josh is across the street."

"Oh. Should we go somewhere else?"

"Yeah. Just walk." We power walk in the opposite direction of Josh and end up somewhere in the park.

"So, is it safe to look in all directions now?" Angel asks once we stop walkin'.

"Yeah," I reply. I suddenly feel a hand on my ass at the same time a voice says, "Hey there, good lookin'." That's a female voice. I turn to see . . . "MAUREEN!"

"COLLINS!" Maureen exclaims, huggin' me. 'You know, I've been following you for the longest time."

"Stalkin' me now?"

"Maybe." Maureen looks over at Angel. "I swear I saw you today."

"We had a small encounter," Angel replies.

"OH YEAH! I saw you two kiss. You together?"

"Yes we are," I say, puttin' an arm around Angel's waist. Then reality hits me. "Mark and Roger just went to your sound check, but you're here."

"They did?" Maureen asks in shock. "OH! I was on my way to the loft to see if Mark was still coming."

"Well, he is. And he's bringin' Roger."

"Well then. I should get back over there. OOH! You guys should come with me!"

"Um . . . I don't think we-" I start.

"No, I insist!" Maureen interrupts, pulling me and Angel by our hands. Goin' to Mo's sound check.

_Well this oughtta be interesting._

**Yeah. I lied to you guys again. And cause I did, the leprechauns have eaten my pinky toes. (sniffs) Oh how I miss my lil' toes! Anyway, review my filler inner please!**


	21. Wanna Be Blown Up or Arrested?

**I'm updating so all of you can stop hating me!**

**I own nothing. The Almighty Larson owns it all.**

Maureen drags me and Angel along. She's notorious for draggin' people. One time a boyfriend of hers didn't wanna go to one of her shows . . . so she dragged him there . . . by his hair. And he had _long _hair. It was pretty goddamn hilarious to me! I laugh every time I think about it. But I digress.

We arrive at the performance space and see Mark looking at his watch and Roger sitting on the edge of the stage.

"MARKY!" Maureen yells, letting go of our hands, running over to Mark, and crushing him into a hug.

"Maureen . . . can't . . .breathe . . ." Mark chokes out.

"Oh sorry!" Maureen lets go of him and skips over to Roger. "Hi Rogey-Poo! It's nice to see you outside for once!"

"Don't. Call. Me That," Roger says through gritted teeth. I chuckle and receive a glare from him.

"That's a cute nickname, Roger," Angel says, giggling. She's so cute when she giggles.

"Maureen, where exactly have you been?" Mark asks.

"I was on my way to your place," Maureen explains. "I thought you weren't coming."

"Of course he was comin', Mo," I say. "He _loves_ you." I watch Maureen's eyes widen.

"He does?" she asks.

"Oh yeah. Ain't that right, Rog?"

"Yup," Roger agrees. "He masturbates to your picture."

"He _does_?" Angel, Maureen, and I ask.

"Yeah."

"Shut up!" Mark demands, turning bright red.

"While moaning your name," Roger continues.

"SHUT UP!" Mark shouts, turning even redder.

"Whipped," I say in singsong voice. Mark glares at me.

"Did I forget to mention he does this with his eyes closed?" Roger asks. He's obviously tryna piss Mark off. Judging by how red he is right now, I'd say he's succeeding.

**"SHUT UP!" **Mark yells. Yup. He's succeeding.

"Damn, boy, you look like a tomato," I say, laughing and sitting on something I don't know what the hell it is, I'm just sitting on it. Mark growls.

"Mark, did you just growl?" Roger asks.

_No shit Sherlock._

"Makry, it's not that bad," Maureen says. "Lots of people still love their ex-girlfriends or boyfriends."

"Yeah, but-" Mark stops in mid-sentence and we all hear a high pitched whining noise.

"What's that noise?" Angel asks.

"I don't know," Maureen replies. "Mark, what's that noise?"

"It might be-" Mark stops in mid-sentence again and stares at me. "COLLINS!"

"WHAT!?" I reply. Mark says nothing and tackles me off the thing I'm sitting on. "What the hell, man!?"

"SHUT UP I'M SAVING YOU! EVERYBODY GET OUTTA HERE!" We all run outside and not even a minute later . . . **BOOM! **

"Mark, what the hell just happened!?" Maureen asks in a panicked tone. Mark slowly opens the door and a bunch of smoke comes out.

"Collins just blew something up," Mark says, walking back into the performance space. We follow him. "Well, nothing's on fire, but-"

"COLLINS YOU BLEW UP THE THING THAT'S SUPPOSED TO MAKE MY VOICE ECHO!" Maureen cries.

"I'm sorry, Mo!" I tell her. "I didn't know it would blow up!"

"I NEEDED THAT, COLLINS!"

"Maureen, honey, he didn't mean to blow anything up," Angel defends me.

"But he _did_!" Maureen whines.

"Maureen, I can fix it," Mark says. "Why don't you . . . rehearse or something?"

"Okay!" Maureen exclaims. She runs up on the stage, puts a microphone and a cowbell on, and clears her throat. "Last night I had a dream. I found myself in a desert called Cyberland. It was hot. My canteen had sprung a leak and I was . . . thirsty." Angel and I share a confused look. "Out of the abyss walked a cow. Elsie. I asked if she had anything to drink. She said: 'I'm forbidden to produce milk. In Cyberland we only drink . . ." she hits the cowbell "Diet coke . . ." she looks at me and Angel. "IT'S NOT THE SAME!"

"It'll be fine, Maureen," Angel says.

"It _better _be," Maureen replies, glaring at me. "I'm not afraid to kill my friend."

* * *

"Only thing to do . . . only thing to do is jump. Only thing to do is jump over the moon," Maureen sings as everybody cheers. "Only thing to do is jump over the moon. Only thing to do is jump over the moon. Over the moon. Over the . . ." she stops singing and puts her hands on the sides of her nose, "mooooooooooo."

"Did she just 'moo?'" Angel asks me.

"Took the words right outta my mouth," I reply. She didn't perform the whole thing for us, but the part she _did _perform didn't involve mooing. Seriously, I was with her with the whole Benny being a bulldog and I was even starting to like Elsie, but did the girl have to 'moo?' I know she ain't that strange. Well, this _is _Maureen.

"Moo with me," Maureen tells the crowd. Some random person moos. "Yes. Who is that? Come on. Moo with me." More people moo. "Yes. Come on, sir." And more people moo. "Don't be shy. Let it go. Moo with me. Let it rip! MOOOO!" She's lost her mind. "LET IT GO, NEW YORK CITY!"

"And I thought she was weird _before_," Roger says, laughing. I laugh with him and then hear a commotion next to us.

"There's cops here?" I ask rhetorically as some guy and a cop start arguing. Maureen tries to get 'em to stop, but the cop ends up hitting the guy with his nightstick. "Damn." More cops appear, causing a riot to start as Angel grabs my hand and squeezes it. "Let's ge-" Two cops grab me before I can finish my sentence. "Get off of me!"

"Let go of him!" Angel demands, trying to get the cops' hands off me.

"Collins!" I hear Roger say as I break free from the cops and two others grab Angel.

"Get off of her!" I demand.

"Get off of me!" Angel tells them. She kicks a cop that's coming toward her and I manage to get those damn cops off my girl and throw one of 'em on the ground while I'm at it.

"This way!" Roger calls. I run behind Angel, making sure nobody tries anything, and we make it out the door and around the block. "That was insane!"

"I know," Mimi agrees. "And to think it started out peaceful."

"I wasn't talking about the riot. I was talking about what Angel did."

"It wasn't insane," I disagree. "That was fuckin' cool!"

"I just noticed that ever since I met you, I've been in trouble with the law," Angel says, smiling at me. "I think you're a bad influence on me, Collins." I pretend to pout.

"Does this mean I'm not gettin' thanked anymore?" I ask.

"Honey, what you call 'thanked' I call 'fucked.'" My eyes widen and Roger raises an eyebrow as Mimi giggles.

"Chica, vas a trabajar él, ¿no?" she asks. AND AGAIN WITH THE DAMN SPANISH!

"Sabes que estoy, cariño," Angel replies, winking. Hmm . . . must mean something naughty. Who knows? I sure as hell don't. Angel walks toward me, puts her hands on my chest, and whispers, "En el momento que estoy acabado con usted, tendrá que gritaban mi nombre tanto, usted apenas poder hablar."

"I don't know what you just said, but I think I like it," I tell her. She giggles and kisses me. I feel that's kind of a bad move on her part. She knows I'm gonna deepen it and as soon as I do we'll be lost in our own little world. I gently push her off me. "Let's save that for later, kay?"

"Okay," Angel says, smiling. Oh _now _you wanna speak English! Angel and I look next to us and Mimi and Roger have started a make out session. "How come we have to wait and _they _don't?"

"That _doesn't _seem fair, does it?" I reply. "I guess the Life Café'll be waitin'." I pull Angel into a deep kiss . . .all the while thinkin' how weird it must be for people on the street to see two couples makin' out.

Well, **I SAY TO HELL WITH 'EM ALL! **If I wanna make out with my girl, damn-it, I'll make out with my girl!

**WOO! THAT WAS MY UPDATE! HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT! Review please.**

**Translations****:**

"**Girl, you're gonna work him, aren't you?" - "Chica, vas a trabajar él, ¿no?"**

**"You know I am, honey." - "Sabes que estoy, cariño."**

**"By the time I'm finished with you, you'll have screamed my name so much, you'll barely be able to speak." - "En el momento que estoy acabado con usted, tendrá que gritaban mi nombre tanto, usted apenas poder hablar."**


	22. Author's Note: I Should Tell You

Hello all. It is I, The 1000th Kiss.

This little author's note thing is to let you know that I _will _be updating this story within the next few days (tomorrow or Friday). I know it's been three years since I have done so, but I have not forgotten about it. I'm trying to make this update as long and pleasurable to read as possible while mentally preparing myself to write the update after the update that's coming very soon. I am very sorry for the wait and once I get back into the groove of writing this story, I will never wait years to update it again. I hope I'm not hated for not updating in so long.

Sincerely Yours,

~The 1000th Kiss


	23. Viva La Vie Boheme!

**Aaaaaaand three years later, I finally update! Damn. Three years. A lot has happened in three years. Like . . . I'm 18 now. Yeah, that's new. Um, I'm going to college in October. That's new as well. Yeah. So . . . this is my most successful story . . . and three years have gone by since I've updated it. Love to all who read this update 'cause I know some of ya'll are probably pissed about this whole "hasn't been updated in three years" thing. I know I am. Anyway, I'm gonna stop rambling and let you get to reading. Made it long just for ya'll. So . . . here ya go.**

**I own nothing. The Almighty Larson owns it all.**

Roger, Mimi, Angel, and I have finally made it to the Life Café. Most of the people who were invited to dinner are already inside and sitting down. The four of us decided we should wait for Maureen and Mark before we go inside, but we've been waiting for them to show up for nearly thirty minutes. I pay close attention to Roger and Mimi. Every once and while, Mimi grabs Roger's hand and Roger pulls away. This strikes me as odd since he was making out with her almost an hour ago. He'd _better not _hurt this girl bymaking this a one-night-stand thing or I'll have to hurt him.

"God, it's so cold out here!" Angel exclaims, shivering. She wraps her arms around herself. I open my coat.

"Come here and I'll warm you up," I tell her. She smiles and hugs me. I wrap my arms and coat around her. "Is that better?" Angel responds by snuggling up to me. I kiss the top of her head.

"You guys are so cute together," Mimi comments. She has a somewhat sad expression on her face. She tries to hold Roger's hand again. He pulls away. I give him a slight glare as Angel walks toward Mimi.

"Vendrá todo," Angel says to her. Mimi nods and they hug. I walk over to Roger and punch him in the arm. Hard. Extremely hard.

"Ow!" he yells, rubbing his arm. "Jesus, Collins! What was that for?" Angel and Mimi stop hugging and stare at Roger.

"You _know _what it was for," I reply. I fold my arms across my chest and glare at him again. Angel walks to me and places her hands on my shoulders.

"Que no era muy agradable," she says. I'm gonna go insane if she says one more thing in Spanish! She _knows _by now that I can't speak or understand Spanish!

"In English, please." Angel smirks at me and gives me a peck on the lips.

"You shouldn't punch people, honey. It's not nice."

"I had a good reason."

"And that reason was . . .?" I look over to Roger. He's still rubbing his arm while Mimi's trying to examine it. He's trying his best to stop her from touching him. She gives up, takes a lighter and a cigarette out of her coat pocket, and starts smoking.

"Roger's bein' an asshole," I whisper to Angel. She looks to Roger and Mimi for a moment and then turns back to me.

"He'll come around," she whispers back.

"Baby, I don't want him to hurt Mimi's feelings again."

"He _will _come around, honey. I know he will." I love that she's so optimistic about . . . pretty much everything. It makes her so pleasant. I can't believe how damn lucky I am to be with her. I smile and kiss her lips. "Does that mean you agree with me?"

"A little," I say. She smiles at me, unfolds my arms, and takes one of my hands in hers. The wind blows and all four of us shiver.

"Where the hell are they?" Roger asks, wrapping his arms around himself.

"I hope they didn't get arrested," Mimi adds. Maureen suddenly comes around the corner.

"Oh, there they are," I say. Maureen immediately hugs Mimi. There's a girl with her."You alright?"

"Yes," the girl answers. I think it might be the Joanne she mentioned on the phone earlier, but I'm not sure.

"Joanne?" I guess.

"Yes," the girl says.

"Collins."

"Nice to meet you." Joanne shakes my hand and I point to Angel.

"Angel," both Angel and I say at the same time. Joanne shakes Angel's hand.

"Nice to meet you, Angel," she says as Maureen hugs Roger tightly. I'm assuming it's their first hug since Roger started going through withdrawal. "Oh, it's cold. Let's go inside." Joanne rushes inside the café as Maureen and Roger's hug ends. Mimi offers me her cigarette. I take a puff, toss it to the ground, and step on it.

"It was so good," Angel tells Maureen.

"Thank you," Maureen replies with a smile as she walks into the restaurant. She loves being complimented. Mimi follows her into the café. Angel, Roger, and I start walking inside. Hold on . . . Mark's not here!

"Wait, where's Mark?" I ask.

"I don't know, man," Roger answers. "Let's wait for him inside. Come on."

"Let's go," Angel says, already halfway in the door. I walk in after her and Roger walks in after me. Maureen, Joanne, and Mimi are standing by the door.

"So, where's Mark?" Maureen asks.

"Honey, we thought he'd be with you," Angel replies.

"And _we _thought he'd be with _you_," Joanne adds. She pauses for a moment. She looks worried. "I hope he's alright." Roger and I look at each other. I can tell we're both thinking the same thing: why does Joanne care so much about Maureen's exboyfriend?

"I'm sure he'll be okay," Angel says. I smile at her. I love how positive she is.

"While we're waiting for Mark, I can introduce you all to my Pookie," Maureen announces. "Everybody, this is Joanne. Isn't she hot?"

"Maureen, why do you always have to introduce me like that?" Joanne asks, rolling her eyes.

"Because you're hot!" I chuckle and Angel grabs my hand. Maureen points at us. "But _those two _are the cutest couple since . . . well, since me and Marky!" Joanne gives Maureen a slight glare as Angel and I smile at each other.

"They _are _pretty cute," Roger comments. Angel walks toward him and places a hand on his shoulder.

"Honey, you and Mimi could be just as cute and loving as us if you try," she says. Mimi gives her a look.

"So, how long have you two been together?" Joanne asks me.

"We just made it official today," I tell her.

"But when did you meet?" Angel and I exchange looks. She blushes and I chuckle. "You didn't _just _meet, did you?"

"No . . ." Angel says.

"We met on Christmas eve," I add.

"That was two days ago," Joanne comments.

"Yes, it was."

"And you've already said 'I love you?'"

"Yeah."

"Hmm."

"What?"

"It's just kind of weird that you've only dated for two days and you're already in love, so you say." My eyes narrow. I don't think I like this girl. She can't tell me how to feel! Angel glances at me and her eyes widen for a second as if she can read my mind.

"It _is _a little strange, but our feelings for each other are real," she says. She looks at me lovingly and I can't help but smile at her. I hear the door open behind me and turn to see . . . MARK!

"Hey, are you alright?" Roger asks.

"I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine," Mark replies. He seems out of breath as he makes his way toward Maureen. The boy needs to get over her. "Tonight on the eleven o' clock news, the lead story is gonna be your show."

"How do you know that?" Maureen asks. Mark starts smiling.

"They bought my footage of the riot," he explains. "They're gonna see the whole thing." We all congratulate Maureen at the same time.

"Good work, Mark," Joanne says. She's the only one who gives Mark any credit. Maybe I can get over her calling my love for Angel weird. _Maybe._

"You serious?" Maureen asks.

"Yes," Mark replies. Out of absolutely nowhere, Maureen kisses him. He blushes slightly. Angel "aws" while I laugh at the look on Joanne's face.

"How can I repay you?" Maureen asks. Joanne pulls her and Mark apart.

"Let the boy buy us dinner," she says.

"Yes!" Roger exclaims.

"Okay," Mark says, making his way to the podium near the door to make sure we can get in. The employee standing behind it don't look to happy to see us.

"Oh no, please, no," he says. "No, not tonight. Please leave."

_What the hell?_

"What're you talking about?" Mark asks. "Why?"

"Because you sit here all night and you never order anything," the employee tells him.

"That's a lie. Just last week, I had a tea."

"You couldn't pay."

"Oh my God," I say to myself, trying not to laugh at Mark. I lay my head on Angel's shoulder and chuckle quietly. Angel puts her hand in her jacket pocket and pulls out her wad of cash.

"Oh yeah," Mark says. He apparently remembers that.

"Tonight, we can," Angel says, stepping in front of Mark. I stay close to her. She shows the employee her money. "Kapow. Come on." She leads the way past him and we all follow her.

"Fine," the employee calls after us. "Just, please, don't move the tables."

"Hey, let's put these tables together!" Angel shouts. I recognize a lot of people who were at Maureen's show. They all stand up and start moving the tables together.

"No!" the employee shouts. "No, no, no, no!" Everyone ignores him as they continue to put the tables in a row. I see someone whose face I remember, but whose name escapes me. I give him a hug just because he looks familiar. After the hug, Angel grabs my hand.

"Sit with me?" she asks. I smile at her.

"Of course," I reply. We walk around the line of tables and find two seats together. We take our coats off at the same time.

"Benjamin Coffin the third," Maureen says. Everyone sitting at our line of tables stops talking. "The enemy of Avenue A." I see Benny sitting at a small table with two men. What the hell is he doing here?

"Hey, man, you got a whole lotta nerve showin' your face here after what just happened," I say. Benny stands up and walks toward the end of our long table as I pull Angel's chair out.

"Listen, guys, this was not my fault," he says. Angel sits down and she and Mimi smile at each other. I then take my seat.

"Go to hell," Maureen tells him. She took the words right out of my mouth.

"Jerk," someone else adds. He's more than a jerk! He's the biggest asshole on this planet! He betrayed his best friends! I should stab him with a fork!

"You put the cops on standby," Mark reminds him.

"Yes, but I never wanted it to get out of control," Benny says.

_Bullshit!_

"Why did Muffy-" Roger starts.

"Allison," Benny corrects. Roger and I exchange looks. I laugh, but Roger is able to control himself. I love inside jokes. I take a carton of cigarettes out of my coat pocket and take out the one blunt I put inside it. I think this is where I'm putting my weed from now on.

"–miss the show?" Roger finishes. Benny looks down at his hands.

"There, uh . . . there was a death in the family," he says. Poor guy.

"Who died?" Angel asks innocently. I stick my blunt in my mouth.

"Our Akita," Benny replies. Mark and Roger look at each other.

"Evita," the say together. I take my blunt out of my mouth. Mimi starts laughing as Angel and I exchange looks. I feel like laughing a little bit too. Ha! She killed Benny's dog! His dog is dead and my girl's the one who killed the little fucker! How do you like them apples?

"You make fun, yet I'm the one attempting to do some good," Benny says. He starts walking around the table. "Or do you really want a neighborhood where people piss on your stoop every night?" I put my blunt behind my ear and think. It's kind of hard to piss on someone's stoop if they live in an apartment, but I'll let the boy make his point . . . or try to. "Bohemia, Bohemia's a fallacy in your head." He finally made it to the other side of the table. "This is Calcutta . . . Bohemia is dead."

Benny walks back to his little table, fixing his suit jacket on the way. Mark stands up and mocks him while he walks to the end of our table. He places his hands on it.

"Dearly beloved, we gather here to say our goodbyes," he says. As he turns around to face Benny's table, Roger and I stand up.

"Dies irae, dies illa," we say together.

"Here she lies." Mark leans backwards and is picked up and passed down the table by everyone. "No one knew her worth. The late great daughter of Mother Earth. On these nights when we celebrate the birth . . ." We start rocking him. ". . . in that little town of Bethlehem." He stands up on the table and Maureen does the same. "We raise our glass." Mark picks up a glass as Maureen pulls her pants down and moons Benny's table. We all cheer. "You bet your ass to la vie . . ." Maureen pulls her pants up, picks up a glass, touches her glass to Marks, takes a drink, and sits back down. " . . . Boheme."

"La vie Boheme," everyone says. We keep saying it while Mark continues, still on the table.

"To days of inspiration, playing hooky, making something out of nothing, the need to express, to communicate. To going against the grain, going insane, going maaaaaad. To loving tension, no pension, to more than one dimension. To starving for attention, hating convention, hating pretension." We all stand up and start walking, really dancing, forward. "Not to mention, of course, hating dear old Mom and Dad." Angel and Mimi do little dances to make their skirts move. I like that. "To riding your bike midday past the three piece suits. To fruits." I do a couple spins and a random guy puts his arm around my shoulders. I lead him back to our seats. "To no absolutes. To Absolut, to choice, to the Village Voice, to any passing fad. To being an 'us' for once, instead of a 'them.'" Mark jumps off the table.

"La vie Boheme," we all say. "La vie Boheme." We all sit back in our seats except for Maureen and Joanne. They're all over each other right now. One of the men Benny is sitting with clears his throat. Maureen and Joanne turn to him.

"Hey, mister," Maureen says. "She's my sister." She and Joanne sit down as a waiter wearing _extremely tight _leather pants comes to the table with a pad and a pencil. We shout our orders at him.

"So, that's five miso soup, four seaweed salad, three soy burger dinner, two tofu dog platter, and one pasta with meatless balls?" he says.

"Ew!" Roger exclaims. I roll my eyes.

"It tastes the same," I tell him.

"If you close your eyes," Mimi comments.

"And thirteen orders of fries," the waiter adds. "Is that it here?"

"WINE AND BEER!" we all shout at him. Mimi and Angel get on the table.

"To hand-crafted beers made in local breweries," they say. "To yoga, to yogurt, to rice and beans and cheese. To leather, to dildos-" DILDOS? WHAT? "-to curry vindaloo. To huevos rancheros and Maya Angelou." They dance together and I grab Maureen.

"Emotion, devotion, to causing a commotion," we say as we dance. I love dancing with Mo. "Creation, vacation . . ." I lift Mo in the air and she spreads her legs.

"Mucho masturbation," Mark says. Of course he would say that. I put Maureen back on the floor and we continue our little dance.

"Compassion, to fashion, to passion when it's new," we continue.

"To Sontag!" I shout.

"To Sondheim!" Angel exclaims. Roger and I get on the table.

"To anything taboo," Maureen, Joanne, and three other girls say. I put an arm around Roger's shoulders and he puts an arm around my waist.

"Ginsberg, Dylan, Cunningham, and Cage," we say. I make a gesture toward Roger.

"Lenny Bruce," I say. Roger makes a gesture toward me.

"Langston Hughes," he says.

"To the stage!" Maureen shouts.

"To Uta!" someone says.

"To Buddha!" another person exclaims as Roger and I tango down the table.

"Pablo Neruda, too!" everyone shouts. Roger and I reach the end of the table, jump off of it, and go back to the other end

"Why Dorothy and Toto went over the rainbow to blow off Auntie Em!" Mark and Mimi say.

"La vie Boheme!" we all shout again. A small crowd forms at the end of the table closest to Benny's table. Angel somehow gets me onto my back on the table and starts kissing me. I love her lips. They're nice and soft.

"Sisters?" I hear someone say. I'm assuming it's one of the men with Benny. Angel breaks our kiss. I frown and pull her into another kiss.

"We're close," Maureen and Joanne say together. The crowd breaks up and Angel and I stop kissing.

"Brothers!" we exclaim. Angel stands up and my hands go wherever they feel like . . . which just so happens to be between her legs.

"Bisexuals, trisexuals, homo sapiens, carcinogens, hallucinogens, men, Pee Wee Herman," everyone says together. I lay on my stomach and stick my hands out. Two people grab them, pull me down the table, and I end up on my back again. "German wine, turpentine, Gertrude Stein Antonioni, Bertolucci, Kurosawa. Carmina-" I put my legs straight up in the air as someone passes me a lit blunt. I put it in my mouth. "- Burana." I spread my legs and then stand up. "To apathy, to entropy, to empathy, ecstasy, Vaclav Havel." I jump off the table and get on my knees. "The Sex Pistols, 8BC." I glance behind me and realize Angel has jumped off the table too. I let her help me up and I lean on her. "To no shame, never playing the fame game." I take the blunt out of my mouth.

"To marijuana!" I exclaim. Angel suddenly humps me. The two men Benny is sitting with get up, causing Benny to get up too. They start heading toward the door.

"To sodomy, it's between God and me," everyone says. "To S&M!" I pretend to slap Angel.

"Waiter, waiter, waiter!" Benny shouts.

"La vie Boheme!"

"Waiter!" I stand on the small stage in the café.

"In honor of the death of Bohemia, an impromptu salon will commence immediately following dinner," I say. I make a gesture toward Maureen, who jumps on the table and does a strange little dance. "Maureen Johnson, just back from her spectacular one-nigh engagement at the Eleventh Street Lot, will perform Native American tribal chants, backwards through her vocoder, while accompanying herself on the electric cello . . . which she ain't never studied." I jump off of the stage and Roger gets on the table.

"And Mark Cohen will preview his new documentary about his inability to hold an erection on the High Holy Days," he says. Wow. Just wow.

"And Mimi Marquez, clad only in bubble wrap, will perform her famous lawn chair handcuff dance to the sounds of iced tea being stirred," Mark adds as Mimi stands on the bar and lifts her leg about to where her head is. He only did that to change the subject. Thank God. "And Roger will attempt to write a bittersweet evocative song." Roger, who has picked up a guitar off of the stage, starts playing something that sounds _really _familiar. "That doesn't remind us of _Musetta's Waltz._"

"Angel Dumott Schunard will model the latest fall fashions from Paris while accompanying herself on the ten-gallon plastic pickle tub," I say. Angel uses the table as a catwalk.

"And Collins will recount his exploits as an anarchist," she says. I climb onto the bar, erase everything on a chalkboard that's displaying specials, and write the words 'Fight AIDS.' Angel joins me on the bar. "Including the tale of his successful reprogramming of the M.I.T. virtual reality equipment to self-destruct as it broadcast the words-"

"'Actual reality, act up, fight AIDS!'" everyone shouts. I take Angels hand and help her down off of the bar. I sit down on the bar and Angel sits on a barstool next to me.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?" I ask her. She smiles and places her hand on my thigh. She opens her mouth to say something as two guys walk over to us.

"Hey, Angel," one of them says.

"Oh, hey," Angel replies. She takes her hand off of my thigh and I frown slightly.

"God, where the hell are the drinks?" Maureen asks.

"WINE AND BEER!" we all shout. As if by magic, a waiter comes over with our drinks. I grab a glass of wine for me and one for Angel off of the tray. The two guys grab their drinks and walk away. I give Angel her glass and she raises it.

"I'd like to make a toast," she says to me.

"Didn't we just make a toast to just about everything?" I reply, taking a sip of my wine. Angel giggles. There she goes with that cute giggle again.

"Not quite." She makes me raise my glass. "To us. May our love grow stronger each and every day." I smile as our glasses touch.

"I'll drink to that," I say. Angel giggles again and takes a sip of her wine. I slide down from the bar onto a barstool as Angel puts her glass down on the table. She then places her hands on my chest and kisses me. I pull her onto my lap and deepen the kiss. Angel breaks it and brings her lips to my ear.

"I can't wait to please you tonight," she whispers. I close my eyes and shiver. When she whispers in my ear . . . it does something to me. Part of me wants her take me now and doesn't give a damn who sees. But the somewhat decent part of me knows I'll have to wait. She gives me a peck on the lips and then looks around the café.

"What's wrong?" I ask. I want her to kiss me again.

"Where'd Mimi go?" she wonders out loud. I look around and notice Roger's gone too.

"Probably with Roger." Angel gasps and smiles.

"Wanna go spy?" No, I don't wanna spy on Roger and Mimi. I wanna make out with you. I wanna take you into the bathroom and please you. I wanna spend some time with _you _right now.

"Not really," I tell Angel. "I'd rather just stay here with you on my lap." Angel smiles at me.

"That's sweet, honey, but I _need _to make sure Roger's not hurting Meems again," she says. She gets off my lap and walks toward a door. I sigh and follow her. We peek out the door just as Roger and Mimi kiss each other. Angel squeals and shuts the door.

"That's not hurting her in your book, is it?" I ask jokingly. I receive a playful punch in the arm as Angel and I make our way back to our spot at the bar. I give her a kiss.

"Hey, Angel!" Maureen calls. "How good of a kisser is Collins?" Joanne sighs and takes a drink of her beer. Angel just laughs. I glance over to the door she and I just peeked out of and see Roger and Mimi are back . . . and they're kissing. Random people "aw" at the sight of them. I walk over to them and start clapping. I then take one of Mimi's hands and Roger and I help her onto the bar.

"To dance!" everyone shouts. I guess we're toasting again.

"No way to make a living, masochism, pain perfection," Mimi says, dancing slightly on the bar. "Muscle spasms, chiropractors, short careers, eating disorders!" Strange things to toast to.

"Film!" everyone says as Mark climbs onto the bar and Mimi climbs off.

"Adventure, tedium, no family, boring locations," he says. "Darkrooms, perfect faces, egos, money, Hollywood, and sleaze!" Angel then climbs onto the bar.

"Music!" everyone exclaims.

"Food of love, emotion, mathematics, isolation," she says. "Rhythm, power, feeling, harmony, and heavy competition!"

"Anarchy!" everyone says as Maureen climbs on one end of the bar and I climb on the other.

"Revolution, justice, screaming for solution," we say together, walking toward each other. "Forcing changes, risk and danger, making noise, and making pleas!"

"To faggots, lezzies, dykes, cross dressers, too!" everyone says.

"To me!" Maureen shouts.

"To me!" Mark says.

"To me!" Angel and I exclaim.

"To you, and you, and you, you, and you!" everyone says. "To people living with, living with, living with, not dying from disease!" Maureen, Joanne, Roger, Mimi, Mark, Angel, and I climb onto the table. "Let he among us without sin be the first to condemn! La vie Boheme! La vie Boheme!"

"Anyone out of the mainstream?" Mark asks rhetorically as we dance on the tables. "Is anyone in the mainstream? Anyone alive with a sex drive? Tear down the wall, aren't we all? The opposite of war isn't peace."

"What is?" Joanne asks.

"It's creation!" These are the moments I want to remember. Us being us and not caring what anyone else thinks.

"VIVA LA VIE BOHEME!"

**Was that long enough to be an apology chapter? Do you accept my apology chapter? Oh, please do. Accept it and review it. Please. I love you all.**


	24. Love Heals

**Okay...as a result of a now closed poll, this chapter has smut in it, which means the rating is now M. Just so you know, mental preparation for this chapter took longer than actually writing it...and I've never written smut before...this is gonna suck... **

**I own nothing. The Almighty Larson owns it all.**

"So, do you go by 'she' _all the time _or just when you're in drag?" Maureen asks Angel.

"I like to be referred to as a girl when I'm in drag and a boy when I'm not," Angel explains. Maureen's been asking her random questions for about forty-five minutes now. I know she's trying to get to know Angel better, but these questions have to stop. It's getting annoying and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who thinks so.

"Mo, can you stop pesterin' my girl, please?" I ask.

"But she's _so _interesting," Maureen replies. I roll my eyes and take a drink of my third cup of wine. "Have you Collins done it yet, Angel?" I spit the wine I just drank all over Mark.

"Come on, Collins!" he exclaims, drying himself off with his scarf. I give him an apologetic look.

"Maureen, that's none of your business," Roger tells her.

"I'm a curious person, Roger!" Maureen shouts. "And I didn't ask _you_!" She flips Roger off and turns back to Angel. "So, have you?" Angel looks at me and smirks.

"Not yet, but we will soon," she says, placing her hand on my leg. _"Very _soon." She slides her hand toward my inner thigh and kisses me. I shiver.

"What kind of relationship do you two have?" Joanne asks as Maureen gets up from the table. Angel and I both look to her. "You've already said 'I love you,' you're planning on having sex. You've only been together for two days!"

"Don't fucking concern yourself with what _we're _doin'!" I snap. I notice Maureen is flirting with some random girl behind Joanne. "You _need_ to be worryin' about what your girlfriend's doin'!" Joanne turns around and immediately rushes to Maureen. "I don't like her..."

"Honey, she just doesn't understand us right now," Angel tells me. "She'll come around. And until she does, don't worry about her." She kisses my forehead. To my surprise, that calms me down a lot.

"You know, you're probably the only person in the world who can make me forget about bein' angry _that fast," _I reply. She giggles and I give her a peck on the lips.

* * *

When we return to Angel's apartment, after stopping at a convenience store for milk, it's significantly warmer than it was earlier.

"Oh! Heat!" Angel exclaims, taking her jacket off. I take my coat off and she places it on the arm of the couch along with her jacket. She then gives me the jug of milk. "Could you put this in the fridge, please? I have to go to the bathroom." I nod and watch her disappear down the hall.

I walk into the kitchen and over to the refrigerator. I place the milk on the top shelf, shut the refrigerator door, and look around. It's a small kitchen, but it's cleaner than the one at the loft will ever be. I walk back into the living room area and take off my top layers, leaving my T-shirt on. I then sit down on the couch and slip my socks and shoes off. Angel then returns to the room wearing a white robe with hearts all over it. All traces of drag are gone.

I guess I have to refer to her as a boy for now.

"Wow, you changed fast," I comment. Angel smiles and steps closer to the couch. I notice he's barefoot and wonder what else is bare on him.

"Come with me," he says, holding a hand out to me. I take it and I'm pulled off the couch. Angel leads me to the bedroom.

"Can I ask what you're wearin' underneath the robe?" I ask. Angel smirks at me and takes a step backward toward the bed.

"Absolutely nothing..." he answers. I step toward him and he takes both of my hands in both of his.

"Can I see?" He smirks again and pulls me closer to him, our foreheads resting on one another's.

Our lips crash together and our tongues dance. Angel wraps his arms around my neck as I place my hands on his waist. I don't think I've ever been kissed with so much... _passion _before. The kiss continues as Angel removes his arms from around my neck and places his hands on my chest. He starts to move his hands down my body. He then lifts my T-shirt and I shiver as his hands rub my bare chest. After a short while, he breaks the kiss and slips my T-shirt over my head.

I pull him as close to me as I can and kiss him again. His hands return to my chest. I suddenly feel one of his hands slide down my body slowly. His other hand soon does the same. Still kissing me, he unbuckles my belt. He waits a while before unbuttoning and unzipping my pants. Our kiss is broken again as he slides my pants and boxers down to my ankles and I step out of them.

This time, he pulls _me _into another kiss. I want to see him in his natural beauty. I try to untie his robe, but he stops me by taking my hands and placing them on his waist. He then pulls me closer to him with one hand and wraps the other around me. His strokes are slow. I can tell he wants me to enjoy it. I moan low in my throat. Angel suddenly makes me sit down on the bed. He's still stroking me. I try (and fail) to untie his robe again. I break the kiss.

"Angel..." I half say and half groan. Angel smiles and gives me a peck on the lips.

"Not yet, honey," he says softly. He gives me another peck and removes his hand from around me. "Move onto the bed more, sweetie." I do as I'm told and end up somewhat in the middle of the bed. Angel climbs onto the bed as well and gently pushes me onto my back. He kisses my lips before kissing his way down my body, stopping right above my waist. I feel his hand wrap around me again. His strokes are a little faster. I groan and my breaths are shaky. I look at Angel as his strokes stop and he takes me into his mouth, just a little though.

I close my eyes and marvel at the feeling of Angel's hot, wet mouth. As he takes me in further and sucks hard, I moan and run my fingers through his short, black hair. He slowly slides a finger inside me and I gasp. He pulls the finger out, pushes it back in, and pulls it out again before adding a finger and taking me completely into his mouth. One of my hands clutches the bed sheets and I moan loudly. He sucks on me even harder. I can feel the pleasure building up inside me.

_God, I don't want this to end..._

Angel removes his fingers and lets me fall from his mouth. He then gets off of the bed. My eyes follow him as he walks to his dresser and returns to the bed with a condom in his hand. He then slowly unties his robe, takes it off, and lets it fall to the floor. I sit up as I memorize every inch of his body. His mocha colored skin, his small, but noticeable muscles, the birthmark on his left hip. I could just stare at him all night. He stands there for a moment, smiling at me.

I watch him open the condom and slide it onto himself. My eyes widen and my pulse quickens.

"Angel, it's been...a _really _long time since I-" Angel puts his index finger to my lips.

"Shh..." he says. "I'll be gentle, honey. I promise." I nod and watch him climb back onto the bed. He pushes me onto my back again and gives me a gentle peck on the lips. He then spreads my legs and slowly pushes himself into me.

I gasp and become tense. Angel kisses me in an attempt to calm me down. I soon relax around him and he pushes himself further into me.

"Shit..." I groan. Angel gives a small smile as he begins thrusting into me, creating a slow, loving rhythm. He kisses me and I wrap my arms around his neck. I deepen and moan into the kiss as Angel's thrusts become faster.

It feels _so right _being with Angel like this. The last person I let make love to me was Josh and it _never _felt like this. He did it out of lust, but with Angel...it's love. I'm not really used to it, but I can still tell. This is Angel's way of healing my broken heart. He's giving me all this love to let me know the past can't hurt me anymore...

He starts stroking me again and his thrusts become faster. I moan into his mouth as my hips begin bucking underneath him.

"Harder, baby..." I whisper against his lips. He obliges, grunting softly as he does so. The squeaking of the bedsprings somewhat mixes with my moaning and Angel's heavy breathing and occasional grunting.

"How's it feel?" Angel asks in a husky voice. He strokes me faster and I can do nothing but gasp in response. Angel pushes himself all the way inside me, causing us both to moan. His thrusts soon become harder. I groan loudly.

"Oh, God...Collins..." Angel moans. He strokes me even faster and moans my name again as he releases inside me. He thrusts and strokes continue.

"Oh..._fuck_..." I groan. A surge of pleasure goes through my body, nearly causing me to scream.

_Baby, don't stop..._

I arch my back as I cry out Angel's name and explode in his hand. He slowly pulls out of me, but his strokes are still steady. My hips buck wildly under his hand as he kisses me. I moan loudly into his mouth before he removes his hand. He breaks the kiss and we look into each other's eyes.

"Angel...I love you..._so much_..." I tell him breathlessly. He smiles and strokes my cheek as he looks at me lovingly.

"I love you, too..." he replies.

**So...sorry that sucked...no pun intended...ya'll voted for it...**

**Review please.**


	25. Heart to Heart

**WARNING: Below is a chapter filled with fluff!**

**I own nothing. The Almighty Larson owns it all.**

I have a towel wrapped around my waist and Angel's robe is back on as we walk from the bathroom back to the bedroom. He's holding clean sheets in one hand and he's holding my hand with his other hand. He gives me the clean sheets before walking over to the bed, taking the sheets off of it, and tossing them on the floor. He then beckons me and I walk to the bed as he takes the pillowcases off of the pillows.

"I think the pillowcases were okay," I point out, chuckling.

"I know, but I can't have mismatching sheets and pillowcases," Angel says. "It's just one of those things that can't happen or I'll go insane." I laugh and give him the fitted sheet. "Can you put the pillowcases on the pillows, please?" I nod and take the pillows off of the bed. I slide the pillows into the cases while Angel puts the fitted sheet on the bed. He then picks up the top sheet and spreads it out onto the bed. I place the pillows back on the bed neatly.

"So, what do we do with the other sheets?" I ask, wrapping my arms around Angel's waist.

"I'll take care of them later," he replies.

"Well, what should we do until later?" I kiss his neck and slip a hand into his robe. He shivers and removes my hand. I chuckle. "Sensitive?"

"What do you think?" Angel turns to face me. He's smiling. "What brought that on anyway? I wanted to get _clean _in the shower."

"I wanted to please you."

"Well, you did. I think my second favorite part of you is your tongue." I laugh and Angel kisses me softly on the lips.

"What's your first favorite part of me?" I ask.

"I love kissing you, so . . . your lips." Angel kisses me again and I smile. "What about you? What are your favorite parts of me?"

"_Everything," _I reply, making Angel giggle.

"I mean, if you had to choose, which you do, mister."

"Okay. My second favorite part of you has to be your ass." Angel squeals as I give his ass a squeeze. He moves my hands back to his waist.

"And your first favorite part of me?"

"Your eyes. They're so beautiful." I kiss Angel romantically. _"You're _so beautiful." I kiss him again and he deepens the kiss before gently pushing me away.

"Honey, I think we should put clothes on," he says.

"Why?" I ask. "You don't wanna cuddle naked with me?" Angel smiles at me.

"I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Do you not trust me to control myself?"

"Honey, I trust you completely. It's _me _I don't trust." We share a laugh. "Let's at least put on underwear." I nod and pick my boxers up off of the floor as Angel walks over to the dresser. I let my towel fall to the floor and slide my boxers on. I look to Angel and notice he's removed his robe. He's wearing red pair of boy shorts. He walks toward the bed and I enjoy the view as he bends over to pick up the dirty sheets that are on the floor.

"I like what you have on, Angel," I say. Angel stands up, turns around, and walks toward me.

"Thomas Collins, were you looking at my ass?" he asks, smirking.

"You're lucky I didn't smack it." Angel giggles and leaves the room. I climb onto the bed, lie down, and close my eyes. I'm not tired, I'm just thinking. How the hell did _I_, Thomas B. Collins, get so damn lucky to be with someone like Angel? It doesn't even make any sense. What would've happened to me if Angel hadn't been drumming near that alley? Would somebody have found me? Would _Josh _have found me? I shudder at the very thought of that.

"Tired, honey?" Angel says, causing me to open my eyes.

"Nah," I reply. "Just thinkin'." Angel climbs onto the bed and straddles me. I sit up and receive a kiss.

"What were you thinking about?" I take one of Angel's hands in mine and kiss it.

"How lucky I am to be with you." Angel smiles and I receive another kiss. He then looks into my eyes. I think he's about to ask me something serious.

"Honey, if I ask you something, will you give me an honest answer?" he asks.

"Of course," I tell him.

"Was it . . . good for you?" I smile at him. He's so cute.

"It was _amazing, _baby."

"Really? Or are you just saying that to make me feel good?"

"That's the truth. I loved every minute of it."

"Who was the last person that made love to you?" I wince and hope Angel doesn't notice. He _does _notice, of course, and he has a worried expression on his face. "The answer's Josh, isn't it?"

"Yeah," I reply. "And I don't even think it should in the category of 'making love.'"

"What do you mean?"

"He didn't care about how I felt. He just wanted sex. I mean, it was never forced or anything, but it wasn't pleasurable for me. And it actually hurt a few times."

"He hurt you and he didn't care?" I nod and force myself not to cry.

"He hated me." My voice is soft.

"He didn't deserve you," Angel tells me. He kisses my forehead. He's so sweet and kind. He's generous, too. I've never been with someone like him. All my past relationships have been with someone who was only with me for sex or just to say they have a boyfriend. That's what I'm used to. I'm used to being treated like shit. Maybe I _deserve _to be with someone who treats me like shit. Like . . . Josh. Am I supposed to be with him? Am I supposed to be miserable with him instead of happy with Angel? I know Angel deserves someone better than _me. _So, maybe I _am _supposed to be with . . . why am I thinking this way?

"I don't deserve you," I say. Angel's eyes widen.

"Where did _that _come from?" he asks.

"I don't know. I just . . . you deserve someone _so much better _than me, Angel."

"Honey, why are you saying this?"

"You've given me a place to stay. You've given me hope. You've given me happiness. You've given me love. All you do is give, Angel. I can't keep taking from you without giving somethin' back. I-" Angel's lips against mine cut me off.

"Honey, you don't _have _to give anything back," he tells me after our lips part.

"I . . . I don't?"

"No. I've given you all those things because I love you, not because I expect something in return. Why would you think that?"

"I guess I'm just not used to this."

"Not used to what?"

"Being . . . loved." Angel smiles at me and kisses my lips gently.

"As long as you're mine, you'll _always _be loved, honey," he tells me.

**Yay fluff! :)**

**Review please.**


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